‘Tamil Nadu kaisa pahuchega bhai?’: Phone call between Shiv Sena supporter, Kunal Kamra goes viral

As the row following Kunal Kamra’s jokes takes its own form, a phone call between a Shiv Sena supporter and the comedian has gone viral. While it is difficult to vouch for the veracity of the audio clip, it is doing the rounds on social media. In the audio clip, a supporter of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is heard threatening Kamra, who then tells him to come to Tamil Nadu. 

In the voice call that has since gone viral, a person can be heard asking the other if he is Kunal Kamra, something the second one confirms. The first voice is then heard asking what he was saying about their ‘sahab’ in the video, to which Kamra asks who he is talking about. The first voice says about Eknath Shinde. 

The first voice then threatens Kamra and asks him to “go and check” the hotel where the show was performed. The Habitat Studio was vandalised by Shiv Sena workers after the show. He says something similar like the hotel will be done to the comedian too. To this, Kamra can be heard saying, “Aaja Tamil Nadu, mai yahin milunga (come to Tamil Nadu, you will find me here).” 

The first voice then threatens Kamra that he will be beaten up in Tamil Nadu also. The phone is then passed on to another person, to whom also Kamra again says that he is in Tamil Nadu. 

“Tamil Nadu mei kaisa pahuchega bhai (how will we reach Tamil Nadu, brother)” the other person is heard telling Kamra.

The widely circulated audio clip has garnered many reactions, most of them calling it funny. “Amazing comedy going on brother,” said Congress leader Surpiya Shrinate who also shared the viral clip.   

KUNAL KAMRA-EKNATH SHINDE ROW

Meanwhile, comedian Kunal Kamra has been summoned by the Khar Police in connection with an FIR filed against him for comments against Shinde. Initially lodged by the MIDC police, the FIR was transferred to Khar police for further action. Kamra, currently not in Mumbai – which is something that can be corroborated from the viral audio clip too – was required to appear before the investigating officers at 11 am today. 

The controversy arose after Kamra released a video parodying a Hindi song that indirectly criticised Shinde's 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray. This parody triggered anger among Shiv Sena workers, resulting in their vandalising Habitat Studio, the venue of Kamra's performance, and leading to several arrests. 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also began demolition work at the studio, citing unspecified rule violations. Defending his artistic expression, Kamra stated, "Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich even though today's media would have us believe otherwise. Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right." 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasised the need for Kamra to apologise, stating, "Eknath Shinde ji has been insulted, and an attempt has been made to do so. This will not be tolerated.”