Kamra, Andhare to face privileges committee over Shinde remarks

Kamra and Andhare were initially asked to appear before the panel at 2 pm on February 5. However, after both of them expressed their inability to attend, the hearing has now been rescheduled to February 17

Maharashtra legislative council's privileges committee has summoned stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare for a hearing over their alleged insulting remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Kamra and Andhare were initially asked to appear before the panel at 2 pm on February 5. However, after both of them expressed their inability to attend, the hearing has now been rescheduled to February 17, the committee chairperson and Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Prasad Lad told PTI on Wednesday.

He said the notice was issued 15 days ago.

"Kamra today communicated his inability to appear before the committee on February 5. So he has now been asked to depose on February 17," Lad said.

The committee also rescheduled the hearing of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Andhare.

Andhare, who said she was busy with campaigning for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections, has also been asked to appear on February 17, he said.

Lad said Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar worker Suryakant More was asked to appear before the committee on Wednesday (February 4) over his alleged derogatory remarks against Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde. However, More cited the massive traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and was given February 16 as the next date, according to him.

The committee is required to grant three mandatory hearings and all three of them missed the first one.

"If they fail to turn up after two summons, the committee will decide on action against them," he said.

"Prima facie, they (Kamra and Andhare) have committed an offence and insulted our Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Once they depose before the committee, we will show them their videos and the hearing will be recorded," Lad said.

BJP MLC Pravin Darekar had moved a breach of privilege notice against Kamra and Andhare for "derogatory remarks" against Shiv Sena leader Shinde, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti.

Background of the controversy

Kamra, who has often courted controversy for his anti-establishment views, targeted Shinde in a song parody last year, obliquely referring to him as a traitor.

Andhare, leader of the rival Sena-UBT, had supported Kamra.

The comedian, during his performance at the 'Unicontinental Mumbai' hotel in Khar area of Mumbai, had used a modified version of a Hindi song from the movie Dil To Pagal Hai to describe the 2022 rebellion of Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray.

A group of Shiv Sena workers reached the hotel and ransacked its office.

Shinde rebelled against the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena and the collapse of the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government.