PUCL condemns the targeting of comedian Kunal Kamra and the vandalism by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) at The Habitat, Mumbai!

Statement issued by PUCL National and PUCL Maharashtra State unit.
26TH MARCH, 2025

PUCL condemns the targeting of comedian Kunal Kamra and the vandalism by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) at The Habitat, Mumbai!

The PUCL condemns the targeting of comedian Kunal Kamra, for a virtual show titled ‘Naya Bharat’(meaning New India) which was recorded at the Habitat studio, Mumbai on 23rd March, 2025 and which went viral on social media subsequently. His show was a satire on the state of governance in India, political leaders and how they have failed the people of this country. He presented this satire through a series of parodies using the tune of Bollywood songs.

Within less than 24 hours, a mob of men from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) rampaged the Habitat, a popular performance-based venue situated in Khar, Mumbai, where the show was recorded. The mob entered the premises with hammers and rods, clearly intent on destroying the venue. In fact, as per the account of a witness, there was an audience of 80+ people sitting in the venue waiting for another comedy show to start. The mob told the audience to leave; but standing their ground the audience didn’t leave until the mob started breaking glasses on the bar counter. It was then the representatives from the venue urged the audience members to leave fearing for their safety. According to this account, the Police were witness to the violence and vandalism but did nothing to intervene or stop the mob. There is documentary proof of the abdication of the responsibility of the police to PUCL enforce the law when a gang of lawbreakers indulged in criminal acts with impunity, by openly ransacking the venue, intimidating the owners and attacking people in the venue. This only indicates that the Mumbai Police were not only hand in glove with the mob but were complicit in the mob breaking the law.

Read the full statement here.