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The Hindu
28-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kamra, Andhare deny charges in reply to breach of privilege notice
Comedian Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena UBT leader Sushma Andhare have denied the charges of breach of privilege against them in responses filed before the privileges committee of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Both were issued notices after Mr. Kamra's parody song against then Chief Minister, and now Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, allegedly referred to him as 'gaddar' or traitor. They sent their written replies last week. 'How is 'gaddar' unparliamentary,' Ms. Andhare asked in a 28-page document which consisted of a five-page reply and a 23-page attachment of the two lists of unparliamentary words as declared by the Maharashtra Legislature in 1984 and 1999. Mr. Kamra and Ms. Andhare have said that the action against them is mala fide in intent. 'Both of them have given their replies. As the chairperson of the committee, I feel they have filed similar responses, which are not in consonance with the format we expect. We have sent their replies to the legal department for their opinion. Further action will be taken thereafter,' Prasad Lad, chairperson of the privileges committee, told The Hindu. 'It is an established principle – constitutional and commonsensical – that the legislature's power to initiate privilege proceedings exists to protect the proper functioning of the democratic institution. Similar to a court's power to punish for criminal contempt (which I have some familiarity with), parliamentary privilege can only be exercised if the impugned actions demonstrably and substantially interfere in the functioning of the relevant organ of state. Indeed, your notice does not evidence any such interference. It merely alleges that by singing a song, and adopting a sarcastic manner, I have belittled and disrespected the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. It also alleges that by this song, I have insulted the House, its 288 members and have attempted to provoke its members,' Mr. Kamra's one-page reply said. While delving on the usage of the word 'gaddar', he said the word had been used against prominent politicians in the past as well. 'The only possible distinction is that they have used the term 'gaddar' in heated political speeches, while I sang it to the mellifluous tune of the hit Bollywood song 'Bholi Si Surat'... I would respectfully suggest that if a parody of a famous Bollywood song has disrupted or affected the functioning of the Maharashtra legislature, then the breach of privilege is by the members of the House who find themselves so easily provoked, and not by me,' he said. Ms. Andhare said that if she had not used any of the unparliamentary word against any member of the legislature, how could she be accused of using it. She said that the expression 'mirchya zombtat' (loosely translated as getting miffed) was used for those who had attacked 'Habitat' studio, where Mr. Kamra had performed, and not for the legislators. She further said that Mr. Shinde had himself never filed any defamation complaint or issued any notice to her. Saying that as per law, only the one who is offended can decide if he is defamed or not, she added there was no action on his part to show that she had offended him.
Indian Express
14-06-2025
- Indian Express
X-Ray technician in Pune held for burglary at the software firm owner's house
The Pune city police have arrested an X-Ray technician for allegedly breaking into the house of a software company owner in Koregaon Park and stealing gold ornaments and cash of about Rs 43 lakh last month. The police said it was found that the burglar identified as Rohit Vilas Andhare, 25, a native of Dharashiv district, committed the crime on the intervening night of May 17 and May 18 using the motorcycle belonging to a sharebroker's family that died by 'mass suicide' two years ago. 'Prima-facie, it is suspected that the accused was debt ridden and so he committed the theft,' said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pankaj Deshmukh, adding that almost all the valuables stolen from the software company owner's house had been recovered. Andhare has been currently residing in the Kharadi area of Pune city and is learnt to have shifted to the city for employment, senior police inspector Nandakumar Bidwai said. 'Probe so far revealed that the accused has no previous criminal record. He committed the theft at Hadapsar single-handedly, without seeking help from any other person,' said Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Nikhil Pingle, during a press conference today. The owner of the plush house at One North Society in Magarpatta had lodged the complaint of theft at his house at the Hadapsar police station. During a parallel investigation, the Crime Branch sleuths got details of a motorcycle used by the unidentified burglar. The team carried out a rigorous technical investigation for about three weeks, including the analysis of 170 videos captured by CCTV cameras around the crime scene and other locations, and trapped Andhare near the Godbole Vasti in Manjari area on June 11. A police officer said that the motorcycle belonged to a sharebroker, who, along with his wife and two children, all residents of Keshav Nagar in the Mundhwa area, had died by suicide in January 2023. An investigation is on to determine how the accused got this motorcycle or whether he had stolen it. The Crime Branch has handed over the accused to the Hadapsar police station for further investigation.
