The Maharashtra Legislative Council’s privileges committee has rescheduled the hearing of stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction leader Sushma Andhare to February 17 in connection with alleged derogatory remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Both Kamra and Andhare were earlier asked to appear before the committee at 2 pm on February 5. However, after they conveyed their inability to attend on the scheduled date, the panel decided to defer the hearing, according to committee chairperson and BJP MLC Prasad Lad.
Lad said Kamra formally informed the committee on Wednesday that he would not be able to appear on February 5. Following this communication, a fresh summons was issued asking him to depose on February 17. The hearing for Andhare was also rescheduled to the same date after she cited her preoccupation with campaigning for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections.
The chairperson added that Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar faction worker Suryakant More, who was summoned over alleged remarks against Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde, was also unable to attend his hearing on February 4 due to severe traffic congestion on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. He has now been asked to appear before the committee on February 16.
Lad said the privileges committee is required to offer three mandatory opportunities for hearing and all three individuals missed the first scheduled appearance. He warned that failure to comply with two summons could prompt the committee to decide on further action.
According to Lad, there is a prima facie case against Kamra and Andhare for insulting the Deputy Chief Minister. He said that once they appear before the panel, video clips related to the alleged remarks will be shown to them and the proceedings will be officially recorded.
The breach of privilege notice was moved by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar, who accused Kamra and Andhare of making derogatory comments against Shinde, whose Shiv Sena faction is part of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy dates back to a performance by Kamra last year in which he targeted Eknath Shinde through a parody song, indirectly referring to him as a traitor. The performance reportedly used a modified version of a Hindi song from the film Dil To Pagal Hai to comment on Shinde’s 2022 rebellion against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Sushma Andhare publicly supported Kamra following the performance, drawing criticism from the ruling alliance. After the show at a hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area, a group of Shiv Sena workers allegedly vandalised the venue.
Shinde’s rebellion in June 2022 led to a split in the Shiv Sena and resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, triggering prolonged political and legal disputes in Maharashtra.
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