Aaditya Thackeray: Vandals must pay up for ransacking Kamra show venue in Mumbai

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday demanded that those who vandalised the Mumbai studio where comedian Kunal Kamra recorded his controversial show must be asked to pay for the loss caused by their violent action.

During his show at the Habitat Comedy Club, Kamra cracked jokes and made sarcastic comments targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over his political career and the 2022 rebellion against then-CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Enraged over the comments, members of the Shiv Sena headed by Shinde, on Sunday night, ransacked the club in the Khar area as well as the hotel in whose premises the venue is located.

"In Nagpur, whoever resorted to vandalism (during March 17 violence) was asked to pay for the damage. Similarly, will the government ask those who resorted to vandalism (at Mumbai studio) to pay for the damage or else the message in the country will go that such acts are justified," Thackeray told reporters.

The 36-year-old stand-up comedian's comments have kicked up a major political storm in Maharashtra.

On Monday, 12 members of the Shiv Sena, including an office-bearer, were arrested by police for vandalising the comedy show venue. They were released on bail by a city court later in the day.