Kunal refuses to apologise for joke

Referring to row over parody on Eknath Shinde, comic says poking fun at leaders not against law

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Comedian Kunal Kamra stood his ground and stubbornly refused to apologise for his jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who reminded him about maintaining decorum and limits to freed speech but asserted he did not support vandalism. "I will not apologise or hide under the bed waiting for the controversy to die down," a defiant Kamra asserted in a late Monday night statement as his controversial comments made during a show in Mumbai continued to stir politics in Maharashtra and beyond.

While Shinde said the comments – a parody targeting him – were like "taking supari (or contract)" to speak against someone, many others weighed in too and the Mumbai Police issued notice to the stand-up comedian.

The 36-year-old comic, who has often courted controversy for his anti-establishment views, has been asked to appear before the Khar police in Mumbai in connection with a case filed against him for defamation, officials said on Tuesday.