Mumbai: In a major blow to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, online ticketing platform BookMyShow Saturday removed all content related to him and also removed him from the list of artists listed on its portal.
Following this move, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena thanked Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd (which owns online ticketing portal BookMyShow) for removing the content.
The move comes after Shiv Sena youth leader and social media chief, Rahool N Kanal, wrote to BookMyShow, requesting the company not to provide a platform to Kamra.
Rahool Kanal April 2 had urged the Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd to refrain from providing a platform to the stand-up comedian.
Kanal remarked that continuing to facilitate ticket sales for his events could be perceived as an endorsement of his ‘divisive’ rhetoric which may have serious repercussions for public sentiment and order in Mumbai.
Kanal in his letter addressed to Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd Saturday said, “I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the continued support of your team to take the said artist out of your sale and promotion listing. I thank you for even taking him out of the BookMyShow search history.”
“Thank you for keeping your portal clean and keeping such artists out of the list of pure entertainment, because we all being Mumbaikars love and believe in every form of art but not personal agendas,” said Kanal.
He further added, “We deeply value your commitment to BookMyShow’s values that align with the support, customer experience.”
Kanal in his April 2 letter had said that BookMyShow has previously facilitated ticket sales for shows featuring Kunal Kamra.
“Kamra has been observed to engage in a sustained campaign of vilification and defamation, targeting the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, and other public figures. These actions appear to be part of a broader criminal conspiracy, driven by ulterior motives that extend far beyond the realm of humour or satire,” he claimed.
He further stated that Kamra’s premeditated, scripted, provocative, and malicious statements have consistently crossed ethical and legal boundaries. Such remarks not only hurt the sentiments of the public at large but also have the potential to incite public mischief and disrupt social harmony.
“By providing a platform for his performances, BookMyShow inadvertently lends credibility and reach to an individual whose actions threaten public order, particularly in a vibrant and diverse city like Mumbai, where your company is headquartered,” he wrote.
Kanal had sent the letter amid a raging controversy over Kamra alluding to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a traitor in a song.
Three cases have been filed against Kamra, though the Madras High Court has granted him temporary protection from arrest.
Police are currently recording statements from the cameraperson and other staff present during the show’s filming.
They have also assured Kamra’s safety when he appears for questioning. However, Kamra has yet to appear before the Mumbai Police to record his statement despite three summons served on him.
