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Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who is facing a police inquiry over his alleged controversial remarks about Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, shared an old video of his performance on Tuesday night, just a day after receiving his third summons from Mumbai Police.
Along with the video link, Kamra posted an AI-generated image in Ghibli-style, seemingly illustrating a joke from his show. His social media activity comes amidst ongoing controversy surrounding his comments, which were made during a stand-up performance and have sparked political backlash in Maharashtra.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kamra also shared a sharp critique on the systematic suppression of artists, titling it ‘How to Kill an Artist Democratically.’ In the post, he outlined what he described as a “step-by-step guide” to silencing creative voices through intimidation, institutional pressure, and public outrage.
Kamra has already been summoned twice by the police but has not yet appeared for questioning. Officials confirmed that a team from Khar Police visited his residence in Mahim on Monday to inquire about his compliance with the investigation. His latest summons demands his presence before the police for further questioning.
The controversy erupted following Kamra’s performance in a 45-minute show titled ‘Naya Bharat,’ recorded in February and uploaded to his YouTube channel on March 23. The show featured a segment where Kamra altered the lyrics of a popular Bollywood song to mock CM Shinde’s political trajectory. The video quickly went viral, drawing severe criticism from members of the Shiv Sena.
Following the outrage, Shiv Sena leaders threatened legal action, and some party workers vandalized the venue where Kamra’s show was recorded. Authorities arrested 12 individuals linked to the attack, but they were later released on bail.
Despite mounting pressure and repeated summons, Kamra has refused to apologize for his remarks. In a legal reprieve, the Madras High Court granted him interim anticipatory bail on March 28. Justice Sunder Mohan also issued a notice to Khar Police and scheduled a further hearing on the matter for April 7.
As the controversy unfolds, Kamra remains steadfast in his stance, using his platform to highlight concerns about freedom of speech and the growing challenges faced by artists in India.
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