NEW DELHI: BMC officials on Monday were seen arriving at the Unicontinental hotel in Mumbai with hammers hours after Shiv Sena workers vandalised Habitat Studio, situated inside it, following comedian Kunal Kamra‘s joke about Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
In a video shared by the news agency PTI, an official was seen entering the the premises amid heavy security by the Maharashtra Police.
The officials reviewed the ground-plus-three-storey building’s plans and found a temporary shed at the entrance that had been erected without civic approval.
A senior BMC official confirmed that while the civic body had planned to remove the shed, the owners requested time to dismantle it themselves.
Meanwhile, officials are verifying whether the building’s structure aligns with its approved plans.
This comes after a major row erupted when Kamra performed a parody of a popular Hindi song from Dil To Pagal Hai, referring to Shinde as a “gaddar” (traitor). He also made jokes about recent political developments in Maharashtra, including party splits within Shiv Sena and NCP.
“Meri nazar se tum dekho to gaddar nazar wo aaye. Haaye,” Kunal Kamra said during his show.
“Shiv Sena first came out of the BJP, then Shiv Sena came out of Shiv Sena. NCP came out of NCP, they gave nine buttons to one voter… everyone got confused,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Habitat Studio announced its decision to temporarily shut down after Shiv Sena workers vandalized the venue following the uproar over comedian Kunal Kamra’s jibe at Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde during a show in Mumbai.
In a post on its official Instagram handle, Habitat Studio said, “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 are shutting down until 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, audiences, and stakeholders to discuss and share their views freely and request your guidance so that we also respect the performers’ rights,” it added.
Meanwhile, an FIR was registered against Shiv Sena Yuva Sena General Secretary Rahool Kanal and 19 others for vandalizing the Habitat stand-up comedy set under various sections of the BNS and Maharashtra Police Act.
