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A political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra as ruling party legislators from Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) initiated a breach of privilege motion against comedian Kunal Kamra. The move comes after Kamra released a satirical song referring to Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a “traitor” and a “turncoat.” The controversy deepened as Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare also became a target for supporting Kamra and questioning the selective outrage over insults directed at historical figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
What is a Breach of Privilege Motion?
A breach of privilege occurs when an individual disregards or undermines the rights and immunities of the legislature and its members, preventing them from performing their duties effectively. If the privilege committee upholds the complaint, strict action can be taken against the accused.
Breach of Privilege Motion Against Kamra and Andhare
The proceedings against Kamra and Andhare were initiated on Wednesday in both the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Bornare formally moved the breach of privilege motion in the Assembly, while BJP legislator Pravin Darekar did the same in the Legislative Council.
According to Bornare, Kamra’s song was an insult to Eknath Shinde, who is considered a popular leader in the state. Meanwhile, Andhare’s public remarks ridiculing the government’s actions and reciting lines from Kamra’s song in her own video added fuel to the fire.
“The notice should be accepted, and strict action should be taken to ensure that no one dares to ridicule proceedings of the House,” demanded the ruling party members. Presiding officer Sanjay Kelkar admitted the motion and referred it to the privilege committee for further review.
Andhare’s Strong Response
In her video, Sushma Andhare raised concerns over what she called the “selective outrage” of the ruling party. She questioned why the same intensity of anger was not shown when former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari made controversial remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or when a sculptor’s mistake led to the fall of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Malvan.
“Everyone is deeply angry. But where was the anger when former Maharashtra governor BS Koshiyari insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar? Where was the anger when the Shivaji Maharaj statue at Malvan fell because of sculptor Jaideep Apte’s mistake? Why was Apte’s office not ransacked? Why was there no action against Rahul Solapurkar and Prashant Koratkar, who spoke against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?” Andhare said in her video.
Darekar, while presenting the breach of privilege motion against her, accused her of “instigating all members” and argued that her remarks were an insult to the legislature. Legislative Council Chairperson Ram Shinde admitted the notice and referred it to the breach of privileges committee for review.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Mouthpiece Slams the Government
The controversy also led to strong criticism from the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction’s mouthpiece, Saamana. The editorial in the newspaper criticized the ruling Mahayuti government for overreacting to Kamra’s song, calling it “old wine in a new bottle.”
“Kamra’s parody song only pointed to the split in Shiv Sena, engineered by Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership in 2022. It is nothing but old wine in a new bottle, but still, the deputy chief minister’s supporters vandalized a studio in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a recent interview that criticism is the soul of democracy, and within a few days, Modi supporters and Shinde’s partymen attacked the studio. The attack has once again proved that Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis is helpless and weak,” Saamana wrote in its editorial.
The breach of privilege committee will now conduct hearings and submit a report to the state assembly. If found guilty, Kamra and Andhare could face strict action.
