Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking to quash an FIR registered against him for allegedly calling Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a "traitor" during a live performance.

The FIR, lodged by Mumbai Police following a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, accuses Kamra of making statements conducive to public mischief and defamation under sections 353(1)(b) and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Kamra's plea, filed on April 5 through advocate Meenaz Kakalia, argues that the FIR violates his fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of speech and expression, the right to practice his profession, and the right to life and liberty, as guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. The petition is expected to be heard by a bench led by Justice Sarang Kotwal on April 21.

The controversy stems from a recent comedy show in which Kamra, without naming Shinde, modified a popular Hindi song from ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ to refer to him as a “gaddar” (traitor), alluding to Shinde’s rebellion against former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Kamra, a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu, was previously granted interim transit anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court in the same case. However, he has yet to respond to three summons issued by Mumbai Police for questioning.

The case has sparked a debate on the limits of satire and free speech, especially in political commentary. Kamra's legal team contends that the FIR amounts to an attempt to muzzle dissenting voices through misuse of legal provisions.

Meanwhile, Kamra on Saturday sought clarity from India‘s top event ticketing platform BookMy Show about his shows being allowed to list on the site after the platform removed all his content and delisted him. ‘’Hello@bookmyshow can you please confirm if I have your platform to list my shows? If not, it’s fine. I understand…,” Kamra posted on X on Saturday, indicating possible restrictions or a silent refusal from the platform.