Mumbai: Shiv Sena social media chief Rahool Kanal has urged Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd (which owns the online ticketing portal BookMyShow) to refrain from providing a platform for stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s show.
In a letter dated April 2, Kanal said 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 the city.
Kanal said that BookMyShow has previously facilitated ticket sales for shows featuring Kunal Kamra, an individual with a documented history of habitual criminal behaviour. “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, “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.”
Against this backdrop, Kanal has requested that Big Tree Entertainment and BookMyShow refrain from publishing or promoting Kunal Kamra’s shows on their platform moving forward. “I trust that, as a responsible organisation committed to the well-being of its audience and the community. BookMyShow will take this matter into serious consideration and act in the larger interest of maintaining peace and harmony,” he said.
Kanal’s letter comes amid raging controversy over Kamra referring to Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde as a “traitor”.
The Mumbai Police have filed three cases 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.
IANS
