Jaya Bachchan defends Kunal Kamra amid row over ‘gaddar’ remark on Eknath Shinde: ‘What will become of you?’

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan defiantly supported Kunal Kumra amid the ongoing row over the comedian's ‘traitor’ (gaddar) jibe at Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.

The ongoing row has raised questions about the freedom of expression, with many opposition leaders including Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray, Congress's Nana Patole, expressing their support for Kamra.

‘What will become of you’

Claiming how ‘freedom of action’ works only when there is a ‘ruckus’, Jaya Bachchan questioned about the freedom of speech.'

"If there is a restriction on speaking, what will become of you? You are anyway in a bad situation. There are restrictions on you. You would be told to speak just on this and nothing else, that do not interview Jaya Bachchan," Jaya Bachchan told reporters outside parliament.

What did Kunal Kamra say

Bedlam broke out when Kunal Kamra, in his ‘Naya Bharat’ episode, used a modified version of a Hindi song from the movie Dil Toh Pagal Hai to refer to Eknath Shinde as a gaddar, for his 2022 rebellion Uddhav Thackeray.

Kamra used the ‘gaddar’ remark to allude to Eknath Shinde' split from Uddhav Thackeray to form a rival faction of Shiv Sena.

Kunal Kamra's comments triggered Shiv Sena party workers, with many of them, including leader Rahul Kanal vandalising Mumbai's Habitat studio, where Kamra's performance was filmed.

Udhhav Thackeray says ‘calling gaddar, a gaddar not an attack’

Reacting to the vandalism by the Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said: “I don't think Kunal Kamra said anything wrong.”

He stated, “calling 'gaddar', a 'gaddar' is not an attack on anyone,” caliming that those who have "'gaddari' in their blood can never be a Shiv Sainik."

Congress's Nana Patole supports Kunal Kamra

Congress MLA Nana Patole also voiced his support for Kunal Kamra, stating : “The government urges that there should be peace in the state, but they are engaging in vandalism like this. They want to destroy Maharahstra.”

Kunal Kamra's ‘every sentence is correct’

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant came out in defence of Kunal Kamra, claiming that the remark made by the comedian in his comedy special, Naya Bharat, was accurate.

“As far as what Kunal Kamra did, I think every word, every sentence said by him is correct. That is what everyone in Opposition is alleging against him. He said that in the form of a poem. If we say there is democracy in this country and we believe in that, then we must accept all of this,” Arvind Sawant told reporters.