Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday called for special security measures for stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, akin to the protection provided to actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. This comes after the Mumbai police filed multiple cases against Kamra for his controversial joke allegedly aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The Rajya Sabha MP stated that, similar to the protection granted to Kangana Ranaut after her dispute with Shiv Sena, Kunal Kamra should also be given similar security.
“I also demand that the Maharashtra Govt should provide special protection to Kunal Kamra. Kangana Ranaut was also provided special force for her security when she had a rift with us,” news agency ANI quoted Raut as saying.
On Saturday, cases were filed at Khar police station under sections 353 (statements conducive to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, following the transfer of complaints from multiple police stations.
The cases were filed following complaints from Sanjay Bhujbal, the Shiv Sena’s Jalgaon city chief; Sunil Jadhav, a hotelier and the party’s Nandgaon city chief; and Mayur Borse, the Manmad city chief of Shinde’s party. The complainants alleged that Kamra defamed Eknath Shinde during his performance.
The cases were registered based on complaints from Sanjay Bhujbal, Shiv Sena’s Jalgaon city chief; Sunil Jadhav, a hotelier and Nandgaon city chief of the party; and Mayur Borse, the Manmad city chief of Shinde’s faction. The complainants accused Kamra of defaming Eknath Shinde during his performance.
The comedian filed a petition in court, citing his temporary inability to approach Maharashtra’s courts due to threats of assault from Shiv Sena workers. Kamra referenced newspaper reports to support his claims.
Mumbai police have issued two summons to Kamra since the registration of the First Information Report (FIR) on March 24.
