Rahool Kanal of the Shiv Sena Yuva Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), arrested for vandalising Mumbai’s Habitat studio following comedian Kunal Kamra’s controversial joke about the Maharashtra deputy chief minister, claimed that the Sena workers did not intend to attack the venue and acted “in the heat of the moment.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Rahool Kanal said they resorted to vandalism after the studio’s owner, Balraj, allegedly “misbehaved” with them when they visited to talk to him.
The Mumbai Police had arrested 12 Shiv Sainiks, including Rahool Kanal, for vandalising the studio in which Kunal Kamra‘s show was filmed and the hotel in which it is located. They were granted bail hours after being held.
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Rahool Kanal also claimed that he knew artistes like Kunal Kamra and Munawar Faruqui. However, after watching the controversial video, they decided to reach out to Habitat studio’s owner, Balraj, to inquire about the show.
“I know all these artistes, including Kamra and Munnawar (Faruqui). I am someone who always supports artists. But when we saw the video, we initially contacted Balraj and enquired about the show. However, he did not talk to us properly and misbehaved,” The Indian Express quoted Kanal as saying.
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He alleged that Balraj did not respond properly and behaved rudely. “He did not talk to us properly and misbehaved. He said he rents out the place and does not care who does what after that. He was very arrogant and rude,” Rahool Kanal said.
Denying any premeditated attack, Kanal insisted they only intended to talk. “We had no intention to vandalise. We went there just to talk, but the response we got triggered it, and it happened in the heat of the moment,” he added.
On Thursday, Kanala lodged another complaint against Kunal Kamra at the Khar police station, requesting the police to investigate the financial transactions of the comedian’s YouTube channel that, he alleged, “seem irregular and may suggest the movement of funds for unlawful purposes”.
Who is Rahool Kanal?
- Rahool Kanal was a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and was associated with the Shiv Sena’s youth wing, Yuva Sena.
- However, in July 2023, Kanal switched sides and joined the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde. Since then, he has been actively involved in the Shinde faction’s political activities.
- A popular face in Bandra, Kanal is a restaurateur and a known name among Bollywood circles.
- Kanal owns Bandra’s Bhaijaanz restaurant which was named after Salman Khan.
- He also runs NGO ‘I Love Mumbai’. He was a trustee of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust.
- Kanal’s association with Sena (undivided) started with Yuva Sena, and for the past 10 years, he had been with Yuva Sena led by Aaditya Thackeray.
Kunal Kamra’s alleged ‘gaddar’ joke
During his performance at the Habitat Comedy Club at the Unicontinental hotel in Khar area, Kunal Kamra had allegedly referred to Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, as a “gaddar” (traitor) and went on to sing a parody of him.