Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde. Pic/X
In a notable political development, Shiv Sena (UBT) has officially withdrawn the no-confidence motion against Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde, ANI reports.
The motion was originally filed by the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve. However, as per ANI, Danve himself has now proposed to withdraw it, marking a shift in the party's stance.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has been adjourned sine die, ANI reports. The next session, the Monsoon Session, is scheduled to commence on 30th June 2025.
The opposition alliance in Maharashtra has strongly criticised the Mahayuti government, alleging a breakdown of law and order. This follows an incident where Yuva Sena activists vandalised the venue where stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra had performed his controversial show.
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Earlier, ANI reported that Mumbai Police issued a second summons to Kamra, directing him to appear for clarification regarding his joke referring to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a "gaddar" (traitor) in his latest stand-up video, Naya Bharat, on YouTube.
According to ANI, Kamra failed to respond to the first summons, with his lawyer requesting a seven-day extension. However, after he did not appear, Mumbai Police sought legal opinion and subsequently issued a fresh summons.
As per ANI, police officials are investigating claims that Kamra had made critical remarks about Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in addition to satirical comments about other prominent figures. Authorities have indicated that if the inquiry reveals that Kamra has previously made such remarks about politicians, actors, or sportspersons, further action may be taken against him. Officials also clarified that while Kamra's lawyer has been in contact, the comedian himself has not directly engaged with police officials.
On Tuesday, ANI reported that Kamra released a new video mocking Shiv Sena workers for vandalising The Habitat comedy club in Mumbai, where he had performed.
Reacting to the controversy, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated, "Our CM Devendra Fadnavis had responded to this issue on behalf of the government. Our CM has said that action will be taken as per the law."
According to ANI, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a firm stance against Kamra's remarks, addressing the matter in the state Assembly on Monday. He emphasised that while the government values humour and satire, it will not allow freedom of expression to be misused as a tool for spreading "tyranny."
"Our government appreciates humour and satire. Political satire is acceptable, but we do not support freedom of speech when it is misused for tyranny," Fadnavis asserted.
As per ANI, the Chief Minister further criticised Kamra's style of comedy, stating that the comedian has previously targeted high-profile figures, including the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice.
"This artist creates controversy to gain fame. He has targeted Eknath Shinde and staged low-quality comedy. It is for the people to decide whether Shinde is a âgaddar' or not," Fadnavis said in the Assembly.
(With inputs from ANI)
