The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction has unleashed a scathing attack on the Mahayuti government, Mumbai Police, and the rival Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, accusing them of crushing criticism—the “soul of democracy”—over the ransacking of a studio linked to comedian Kunal Kamra’s controversial remarks.
In its mouthpiece Saamana editorial on Wednesday, the party lambasted the authorities for inaction during the chaos that erupted after Kamra’s stand-up act targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The row ignited on March 23 when Kamra, performing at The Habitat Studio in Khar, labeled Shinde a “traitor” in a parody song mocking his 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, which split the Shiv Sena and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Shinde’s faction retaliated by vandalizing the venue that night, prompting Mumbai Police to file an FIR against Kamra for defamation and arrest 12 Shiv Sena workers—who were later bailed out. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swiftly demolished parts of the studio, citing illegal construction, a move Saamana branded a “joke” and an extension of the assault on free expression.
“PM Modi says criticism is the soul of democracy. Here, both democracy and the soul have been trampled underfoot by Modi’s supporters,” the editorial charged, slamming Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who doubles as Home Minister, for demanding Kamra apologize rather than curbing the “goons.”
It questioned why Shinde’s faction faced no rebuke for attacking Kamra while ignoring journalist Prashant Koratkar’s alleged insults against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “Apologize and go away seems to be the policy,” it added, decrying the “hooliganism” as a stain on Maharashtra’s governance.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray, have rallied behind Kamra, insisting he voiced public sentiment. The fracas has fueled a broader clash, with the party framing it as a test of democratic principles under siege by political vendettas and muscle-flexing ahead of local elections.