Delhi Court issues notice to Kamra over Naya Bharat video mocking Eknath Shinde
In fresh trouble for comedian Kunal Kamra, a Delhi court has sought his response to a plea filed by a Shiv Sena leader seeking an FIR against him for comments allegedly ridiculing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The case arises from his satirical “Naya Bharat” video, which took aim at the Shiv Sena leader. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vandana of the Rohini Court passed the order on January 20, 2026, while hearing a criminal revision petition filed by Sandeep Chaudhary, the party’s Delhi chief.
The court issued a notice to Kamra and scheduled the next hearing for March 20, 2026. The legal dispute began when Chaudhary sought a police investigation
into Kamra’s content. Represented by advocate Namit Saxena, the petitioner argued that Kamra’s video used derogatory language intended to incite “hatred and ill-will” between political factions.
Specifically, according to the petition, the video allegedly labeled Shinde a “gaddar” (traitor), a “dalbadlu” (turncoat), and referred to him as being in “Fadnavis ki godi” (Fadnavis’ lap).
Chaudhary is challenging a September 2025 order by Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Himanshu Sehloth, who had initially rejected the plea for an FIR. In that decision, the Magistrate observed that while Kamra’s satire might be “offensive or distasteful,” it did not constitute a cognisable offense.
“The remedy for bad speech is not the policeman’s knock; it is better speech... Leaders who command public power must cultivate a thicker skin, for they govern not a court of praise but a society of free citizens,” the Magistrate had noted.
The revision petition filed through Saxena seeks to overturn that view, claiming the satire crossed the line into criminal misconduct under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The show, titled “Naya Bharat,” was recorded at The Habitat studio in Mumbai and the video was officially uploaded to Kamra’s YouTube channel on March 23, 2025.
Within hours of the release, the video sparked significant political controversy. On the night of March 23, members of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) vandalized the comedy club where it was filmed, leading to several arrests.
Several FIRs were also filed against Kamra and later, the Bombay High Court granted him interim protection from arrest in April 2025.
