Latest news with #Kamra
News18
4 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
‘Delhi Tourism…': Kunal Kamra Reacts After Rekha Gupta Warns Him Of Performing ‘At Own Risk'
Kunal Kamra responded to Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, who earlier warned the stand-up comic that he can perform in the national capital "at his own risk". Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who triggered a massive controversy with his recent ' gaddar ' remark directed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, took a jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta who had warned the stand-up comic that he can perform in the national capital 'at his own risk". While speaking at an event organised by The Indian Express, Gupta was asked if she would allow comedians like Kunal Kamra to perform in Delhi, where he would possibly crack jokes on the Prime Minister and other politically-affiliated people. The Delhi CM responded, 'He can come at his own risk. People of Delhi would listen to him." When asked about how a chief minister can say 'at his own risk' and not at her assurance, Gupta responded, 'Right, you come, I will welcome you." Hours after Kamra responded to Gupta's statement and suggested that 'come at your own risk" should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism. ''Come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism," Kamra said in a post on X. 'Come at your own risk" should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism.— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) June 27, 2025 Kunal Kamra Row Kamra stoked a row after giving a spin-off to a popular Hindi song in which he took a veiled dig at Shinde, calling him a 'gaddar" (traitor). He allegedly referred to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis in which Shinde led the collapse of Uddhav Thackeray's state government. Recorded in February, the programme called 'Naya Bharat' was uploaded on Kamra's YouTube channel on March 23, drawing strong reactions from the Shiv Sainiks. Shiv Sena leaders condemned his remarks, demanding an unconditional apology from him. The controversy escalated into violence when Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shinde's Shiv Sena, vandalised the Habitat comedy venue where the show was filmed. Despite having multiple clashes with the BJP-led Centre in the past, the comedian has refused to apologise for his remark but had expressed willingness to cooperate with the police. Three separate cases were filed against the stand-up comedian at Khar police station, with one complaint lodged by the Mayor of Jalgaon city and the other two by a hotelier and a businessman from Nashik, according to the Mumbai Police. For the unversed, Kamra, in 2019 and 2024, contributed to the crowdfunding drive launched by Kanhaiya Kumar, who was then a Congress candidate from northeast Delhi, against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Manoj Tiwari. First Published: June 28, 2025, 09:24 IST
Mint
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
CM Rekha Gupta warns Kunal Kamra can perform ‘at his own risk', comedian mocks it as 'Delhi tourism tagline'
Comedian Kunal Kamra took a swipe at Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta by suggesting that 'come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism. Kamra's remark was in response to Gupta's earlier said that Kamra could come and perform in Delhi, but 'at his own risk'. "'Come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism," Kamra posted on their social media handle X. While speaking at a media event organised by The Indian Express group, Chief Minister Gupta was asked if she would allow comedians like Kunal Kamra to do a show in Delhi, where he would likely crack jokes on the Prime Minister and other people. The CM responded: 'He can come at his own risk. People of Delhi would listen to him.' When another newspaper representative asked how a chief minister can say 'at his own risk' and not at her assurance, Gupta responded, 'Right, you come, I will welcome you.' In another post, Kamra said, 'Spoke like a true ABVP Karyakarta while having the opportunity to speak as a dignified Chief Minister.' Stand-up comic Kamra has been in the eye of a storm over his February 2025 YouTube special, Naya Bharat, in which he used a modified version of a Hindi song from the Shahrukh-Khan starrer Dil Toh Pagal Hai to describe the 2022 rebellion of Eknath Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray. 'Come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism. In the video, filmed at the Habitat Studio at the UniContinental hotel in Mumbai's Khar district, Kamra took a dig at Eknath Shinde through a parody of a Bollywood song, labelling him a 'gaddar' for his political manoeuvrings. The Habitat Studio was allegedly vandalised by workers linked to Shiv Sena (Shinde Group). In 2020, Kunal Kamra shared a video of him heckling Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami on board a Mumbai-Lucknow Indigo flight in 2020. In a two-minute video he posted on his Twitter account (now X), Kamra is heard saying to Arnab, 'Here, I am asking coward Arnab about his journalism and he is doing exactly what I expected him to do.' Throughout all this, Arnab kept quiet. The video divided the internet. Some, including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor supported Kamra. Others, including the then Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri called Kamra's behaviour 'offensive' After an investigation, IndiGo banned Kamra for six months, deeming his act a Level 1 offence. Later, the ban was reduced to three months. Other airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet, and GoAir, also followed suit, imposing similar bans on the comedian. Key Takeaways Political satire remains a contentious issue in India, especially regarding public performances. Comedians often use humor to address and critique political statements and figures. Public figures should be prepared for their comments to be scrutinized and satirized.
The Wire
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Fifty Years of the Emergency: Delhi CM Says Kunal Kamra Can Perform in Delhi ‘At His Own Risk'
CM Rekha Gupta's comments come at a time when BJP has been trying to convey that it is the opposition Congress which is the party of repressing free speech. Comedian Kunal Kamra performing a show (L); Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta at the Jansatta event (R). Photos: X/@kunalkamra88, YouTube/Jansatta New Delhi: Fifty years after the Emergency, declared by then prime minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the anniversary to portray the Congress as being a party of suppression of free speech. But after a twitter poll boomeranged on the BJP's official handle, where the question asked was if a Congress government of the future would impose Emergency and over two-thirds of those who voted disagreed, comments from Delhi's chief minister, BJP leader Rekha Gupta have added to the party's embarrassment. While speaking in a media event organised by Jansatta, a Hindi daily of The Indian Express group, Gupta said that Kunal Kamra, a stand-up comic and petitioner in the matter against IT rules, could come and perform in Delhi, but 'at his own risk'. When pushed by a representative of the newspaper group how a chief minister can say 'at his own risk' and not at her assurance, Gupta reluctantly demurred. Stand-up comic Kunal Kamra has been in the eye of a storm after vandals connected with the ruling Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) attacked the venue of his show in Mumbai and threatened him with consequences for political satire he put up on YouTube. Attacks on Kamra and the comedy venue, now shut down, have already put Maharashtra in the spotlight for its inability to provide a safe space for commentary, free expression or even satire. The chief minister and top leaders of the BJP and Shiv Sena have not been able to massage the impression that freedom of expression is imperilled in the state and city that houses the Hindi film industry and as before at the forefront of protest protest-literature and poetry, now reeling under an environment that allows lumpen protests to hold sway. Meanwhile, responding to Gupta, Kamra said, 'Spoke like a true ABVP Karyakarta while having the opportunity to speak as a dignified Chief Minister'. He later also said that Gupta's comments could be 'a tagline for Delhi tourism' 'Come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism. — Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) June 27, 2025 With the BJP now running the Delhi government, and boasts of a 'triple engine' government being rife in the capital, the inability of the Delhi chief minister to be able to offer a safe space for the articulation of political satire and comedy, has rung alarm bells. In March, Kamra released a video of his new show 'Naya Bharat'. In his performance, Kamra, known for his sharp take on the state of affairs in the country and the government, performed several parody songs. Shiv Sena members vandalised the comedy club in Mumbai where the video was recorded, but the FIR was registered against Kamra. In the show, taking a dig at PM Narendra Modi, Kamra sang a song titled 'Tanashah,' or a dictator. In the other, set to the tune of Dil to Pagal Hai, he targeted Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Swara Bhasker supports Kunal Kamra, takes a jibe at viral threat call over his Tamil Nadu location
In March, Kunal Kamra stirred controversy with his remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister . Recently, actor expressed her support for Kamra on Instagram, cleverly responding to a threatening call from a supporter who targeted Kamra after learning he was in . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Joyful Moments Captured in Photos Swara posted two photos featuring herself alongside Kamra, both sporting white attire and sharing warm smiles, reflecting a joyful moment. On one of the pictures, she included the phrase, 'Tamil Nadu kaise pahuchega bhai (How will you reach Tamil Nadu)?' directly referencing Kunal's clever reply to the threatening call he received. Caption and Location Tag In the caption, the actress wrote, 'Someone once asked… 'TamilNadu kaisey pahunchega bhai?' (laughing face emoticon) Featuring one and only @kuna_kamra.' The post was geo-tagged at Tamil Nadu. The Threatening Call Explained For the unversed, in a 53-second audio clip that surfaced, Kunal was subjected to verbal abuse by a caller who threatened that Kamra would suffer the same consequences as the Mumbai studio targeted during his criticism of Eknath Shinde. When Kamra mentioned he was in Tamil Nadu, the caller questioned, 'Tamil Nadu kaise pahuchega bhai,' before instructing him to 'Talk to our sir, one minute,' and then abruptly ended the call. The Controversial Parody Song During one of his performances, Kunal presented a parody of the hit song "Bholi Si Surat" from 'Dil To Pagal Hai', which took aim at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This act sparked multiple FIRs against him and prompted Shinde's youth wing, Yuva Sena, to vandalise The Habitat, the location where the show was recorded.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Breach of privilege proceedings against Kunal Kamra to begin soon
The breach of privilege proceedings against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra over his parody song targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will begin soon, a senior official said on Saturday (June 14, 2025). BJP legislator Pravin Darekar had moved the notice against the comedian and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare in the state legislative council during the budget session in March. Also Read | Kunal Kamra funded by 'anti-India' organisations abroad, claims Sanjay Nirupam Legislature secretary Jitendra Bhole said, "Legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde has forwarded the notice to the privilege committee headed by BJP MLC Prasad Lad." When contacted, Mr. Lad told PTI that the committee headed by him met to discuss the breach of privilege notice, and he had initiated the process of issuing notice to Kamra and Andhare. In March, Mr. Kamra, known for his no-holds-barred stand-up comedy at the expense of politicians and celebrities, incurred the wrath of Shinde's supporters in March with a song targeting the Shiv Sena President.
