Mumbai: Amid the ongoing controversy over Kunal Kamra’s remarks against Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP and veteran actress Jaya Bachchan has come out in support of the comedian.
“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 told mediapersons at Parliament premises on the vandalism of the comedy club in Mumbai.
“Where is freedom of speech? There is freedom of action only when there is a ruckus – beat up the opposition, rape women, murder them. What else? You (Eknath Shinde) left your real party and formed another party for power. Isn’t that an insult of Balasaheb?” Jaya added.
Several others, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs, defended the comedian and criticised the vandalism.
Kunal made defamatory remarks against the Maharashtra deputy CM during a show at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai.
“Jo inhone Maharashtra ke election me kia hai… bolna padega… pehle Shiv Sena BJP se bahar aa gayi fir Shiv Sena Shiv Sena se bahar aa gayi… NCP NCP se bahar aa gayi… ek voter ko 9 button dediye… sab confuse ho gaye…” (What he did in Maharashtra’s election… I have to say… First, Shiv Sena broke away from BJP, then Shiv Sena broke away from Shiv Sena itself… NCP broke away from NCP… they gave nine buttons to a voter… and everyone got confused…),” Kunal said.
The row escalated when the Shiv Sena youth wing workers barged into the venue and vandalised the set.
An FIR has been filed against Kunal and the youth wing activists of Shiv Sena.
