The Madras High Court granted interim anticipatory bail to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Friday. Kamra has been facing legal trouble over jokes aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

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Controversy over parody song

The controversy began after Kamra performed a parody song targeting Eknath Shinde in his new stand-up special Naya Bharat, filmed at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai. The special sparked a strong backlash from Shiv Sena supporters, leading to vandalism at the comedy club and the hotel where it is located.

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Kamra’s gets anticipatory bail

According to PTI, Kamra submitted in court that he moved to Tamil Nadu from Mumbai in 2021 and has been "ordinarily a resident of this State since then." He also expressed concerns about a possible arrest by Mumbai Police.

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Kamra was booked by the Khar Police following a complaint from Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, who alleged that the comedian made defamatory remarks against the deputy CM.

Summons and Kamra’s response

On Thursday, Mumbai Police issued a second summons, asking Kamra to appear before them on March 31 in connection with the case. In response, Kamra shared a video of his parody song about Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on social media.

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Police action against Shiv Sena supporters

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police arrested 12 Shiv Sena members, including party leader Rahool Kanal, for vandalising the studio where Kamra’s show was filmed and the hotel where it was located.

Despite the controversy, Kamra’s stand-up special Naya Bharat has garnered over 9.3 million views on YouTube.

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