Shiv Sena Vandalises Mumbai Hotel Over Comedian Kunal Kamra's 'Gaddar' Jibe At Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde

On Sunday (23 March), Shiv Sena workers vandalised a Mumbai hotel in retaliation to a performance by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, whose parody song mocked Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with a pointed “gaddar” (traitor) jibe, Indian Express reported.

The show, shot at The Unicontinental Mumbai in Khar, featured a parody set to Dil To Pagal Hai, alluding to Shinde’s dramatic 2022 defection from the undivided Shiv Sena, a move that had split the party and toppled the previous coalition government. The viral clip enraged Shinde loyalists, triggering violent backlash.

Furious supporters of Shinde stormed the venue, ransacked it, and later filed police complaints demanding action against Kamra. Outside several police stations across Mumbai, Sena workers gathered in protest, calling for criminal charges and issuing direct threats.

Sena MLA Murji Patel vowed, “We will show Kamra his level,” while senior leader Sanjay Nirupam threatened physical assault, declaring, “We will thrash Kunal Kamra tomorrow at 11 o’clock.”

In contrast, Aaditya Thackeray, leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), criticised the violence, calling it an act of “insecurity” and a threat to freedom of expression.

Kamra, known for his politically charged satire, responded with restraint, sharing an image of himself holding the Indian Constitution, captioned, “The only way forward.”