"Kunal Kamra has been given money," says Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske

New Delhi [India], March 25 (ANI): Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske alleged on Tuesday that stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who has been in the eye of the storm over his jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has been given money to make such statements to divert people's attention from the Disha Salian death case.
The Shiv Sena MP also hit out at Shiv Sena Chief (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut, accusing them of taking the support of people like Kunal Kamra.
"Kunal Kamra has been given money to make such statements to divert people's attention away from Disha Salian's case. Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut are left with no workers, which is why they are putting forward people like Kunal Kamra," he told ANI.
Shiv Sena MP warned that Kunal Kamra will face a "reaction" for his remarks and threatened that Kamra can't walk "freely" in Maharashtra.
"He will face the reaction as Shiv Sena is a party of reaction. We are Shiv Sainiks, and if someone talks rubbish about our leader, we will not tolerate that. We are ready to face all the consequences, but Kunal Kamra cannot roam freely in Maharashtra and India,"Mhaske added.
Earlier, Aditya Thackeray hit back at critics who linked him to the Disha Salian death case, accusing them of trying to defame him for the past five years.
Thackeray emphasised that since the matter is already in court, he'll reserve his comments for the legal proceedings.
"A lot of people have tried to defame me for the last five years. If the matter is in court, then we will speak in court," Thackeray told the media.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kamra's refusal to apologise for his remarks made during a recent show has sparked strong reactions from Maharashtra government figures including Maharashtra's Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam and Minister Gulab Patil.
MoS Home Yogesh Ramdas Kadam said that Kamra would be punished for his behaviour, which he described as "unacceptable."
Kamra on Monday released a statement on his official social media handle saying that he would "not apologise" for his act.
Earlier, Mumbai Police sent a summons to the stand-up artist asking him to appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday.
As per Mumbai police, Kamra is not in Mumbai right now. MIDC police had registered an FIR against Kamra for his remarks during a stand-up comedy show, which was transferred to Khar police for further investigation.
The Shiv Sena workers vandalised The Habitat in Mumbai after Kamra's remarks about Eknath Shinde on Sunday. (ANI)