The Maharashtra Legislative Council’s Privileges Committee has decided to issue a show cause notice to comedian Kunal Kamra for his satirical remarks about Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, The Hindu reported on Tuesday.

The decision was passed unanimously by the 11-member committee, its chairperson, Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Prasad Lad, told the newspaper.

A show cause notice will also be issued to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) spokesperson Sushma Andhare.

The committee decided to issue the notice to Kamra for allegedly mocking Shinde, and insulting the Maharashtra legislature and the state as a whole. It will also send a notice to Andhare for expressing support for Kamra and making similar remarks, The Hindu reported.

The judicial wing of the committee is currently reviewing the proposal, and the notices are expected to be sent by the end of the week.

A breach of privilege motion against Kamra and Andhare had been submitted during the Budget session by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar. Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde then forwarded the notice to the Privileges Committee in June, PTI reported.

Recipients of the notice are required to submit a written response within 15 days. If they fail to do so, a second and then a third notice may follow. After three ignored notices, the committee has the authority to direct the police to make an arrest. The individual can then appear before the committee, either personally, through a lawyer, or issue an apology.

“Whatever decision the committee takes thereafter, is the final decision,” the chairperson of the committee told The Hindu. “Even the courts have no jurisdiction in the matter.”

On March 23, the comedian posted a video on his YouTube channel in which he ostensibly criticised Shinde while performing a satirical version of a song from a Hindi film.

Kamra alluded to Shinde as a “traitor” while referring to his 2022 rebellion against former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the ensuing political crisis in Maharashtra. He, however, did not mention Shinde by name.

After clips of the performance were widely shared on social media, members of the Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena on the night of March 23 vandalised The Habitat studio in Mumbai’s Khar area, where it was recorded.

The next day, the Mumbai Police filed a case against Kamra under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to defamation and public mischief. The police have summoned Kamra for questioning three times, but he has not appeared before them so far.

The Bombay High Court had on April 16 granted Kamra interim protection from arrest to Kamra till the case was heard. On April 25, the protection was made permanent.

Earlier, the Madras High Court also extended interim protection from arrest to Kamra till April 17.

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