Comedian Kunal Kamra has told Mumbai Police he does not regret his comment about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, sources told NDTV Monday afternoon.

Police sources also said Mr Kamra – who spoke to the cops from Tamil Nadu – denied rumours he had been paid by the opposition to target Mr Shinde. He reportedly gave the police permission to check his finances – to confirm no payment was received – if needed.

Mr Kamra also said he would only apologise – an apology has been demanded by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who this morning told the Assembly the freedom of expression argument could not extend to “disrespecting the Deputy Chief Minister” – if told to by the courts.

News of the contact with Mr Kamra came shortly after the Mumbai studio that hosted Mr Kamra’s show was demolished by the city’s civic body, citing an unspecified violation.

The owners of the studio – Habitat Studio, which also hosted the episode of the ‘India’s Got Latent’ show featuring influencer Ranveer Allahabadia – earlier distanced themselves from Mr Kamra’s comment, arguing they could not be held accountable for comments by performers.

The controversy – far from the first with Mr Kamra in the spotlight – broke after his parody of ‘Bholi Si Surat’, a popular Bollywood song. In the parody he used the term ‘gaddar’, or ‘traitor’, to refer to Mr Shinde, a former (undivided) Shiv Sena leader whose rebellion against party boss Uddhav Thackeray in 2022 caused a split and brought down the latter’s government.

Mr Shinde’s Sena faction then joined hands with the BJP to form the government.

Outrage by the BJP-led state government has seen multiple police cases filed against Mr Kamra, including one based on a complaint by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.

Amid the uproar over Shiv Sena workers’ vandalism at a Mumbai studio to protest comic Kunal Kamra’s remarks against party chief Eknath Shinde, the city’s civic body has carried out a round of demolition inside the studio, citing a violation of rules. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff reached the studio in Khar today with hammers and carried out the demolition. Details of the violations for which the studio faced the demolition exercise are awaited. Sources, however, alleged that the studio’s premises are in an encroached area between two hotels. 

The BMC is currently helmed by an IAS officer and since its elections are due, the ruling coalition exercises control over the civic body. Against this backdrop, the action against the Mumbai studio is likely to draw strong criticism from the Opposition and further stoke the row.   

#WATCH | Mumbai: BMC officials arrive at Unicontinental Studio in Khar area of Mumbai. The officials have arrived here with hammers. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/dLb1O2z3uT

— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2025

Earlier today, the management of Mumbai’s Habitat Studio said they had decided to shut the premises for now and that they are not responsible for the views of the artists performing on the premises.

“We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us. Artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices. We have never been involved in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent events have made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time almost like we are a proxy for the performer.”

“We are shutting down till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy. We invite all artists, audience and stakeholders to discuss and share their views freely and request your guidance so that we also respect the performers’ rights,” the studio said.

The studio had also posted that it was not involved in the making of Kunal Kamra’s latest video and “does not endorse the views expressed by it”. “We extend a sincere and heartfelt apology to all those hurt by this video,” it said.

In a show shot last month, Kunal Kamra targeted Mr Shinde with a parody version of ‘Bholi Si Surat’, a popular song from the 1997 blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai. He used the ‘gaddar’ (traitor) jibe against the Shiv Sena leader, who led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, bringing down his government and splitting the party. Multiple FIRs have been filed against the comic, including one based on a complaint by minister Pratap Sarnaik.

Love made history when she was voted into the House of Representatives for Utah, but was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022. 

​Love made history when she was voted into the House of Representatives for Utah, but was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022.