Eknath Shinde Responds to Kunal Kamra Controversy, Emphasizes Limits on Satire:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday commented for the first time on the controversy surrounding stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s satirical remarks about him. Shinde stated that while freedom of speech is important, there must be boundaries.

He said, "Freedom of speech exists; we understand satire, but there should be a limit. This is like taking a 'supari' (contract) to target someone." His remarks follow a heated political debate in Maharashtra over the comedian’s comments.

In an interview with BBC Marathi, Shinde was directly asked about the incident involving Kamra. He responded, "Whose supari does he take to do such things? In a democracy, freedom is crucial, but to speak falsely about someone under someone else's influence is not acceptable. It’s not just about me. Look at what he has said about Prime Minister Modi, former Chief Justice, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Home Minister Amit Shah, and industrialists."

Despite his strong words, Shinde distanced himself from the vandalism at a comedy venue in Mumbai carried out by his party supporters. He referenced Newton's third law, saying, "The other person should also maintain a certain level. Otherwise, action causes reaction."

The controversy began after Kamra referred to Shinde as a "traitor" during a performance, mocking his 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray. He sang a parody based on a popular Hindi song, which quickly went viral on social media.

Following the video’s circulation, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) workers stormed the venue—Habitat Comedy Club in Khar—damaging property. They also filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Kamra.