BookMyShow removed Kunal Kamra from list of artists, claims Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena worker Rahool Kanal on Saturday claimed ticketing agency BookMyShow has taken stand-up comedian and activist off the sale and artists' list from its platforms, as per the party's earlier demand.

Kanal, the social media in-charge of the Eknath Shinde faction of , thanked BookMyShow CEO Ashish Hemrajani for keeping the portal "clean and keeping such artist out of the list of pure entertainment".

When contacted, the BookMyShow team said they had no comments to offer as of now.

"I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your continued support of you team to take the said artist out of your sale and promotion listing, thank you for even taking him out of the book my show search history. Your belief in maintaining peace and at the same time respecting our emotions has been instrumental," Kanal stated in a letter to Hemrajani.

He said Mumbaikars love and believe in every form of art but not personal agendas. "Your personal touch and guidance by your team were invaluable in navigating and reaching a solution.

"We deeply value your commitment to BookMyShow's values that align with the support, and customer experience, your vision and leadership are truly inspiring, thank you for giving us your team and getting this cleared at the earliest. Thank you," Kanal said.

Kanal was booked along with other Shiv Sena activists for allegedly vandalising the studio set in a Mumbai hotel where Kamra had performed, and alluded to Shinde — without naming him — while making a traitor jibe, which snowballed . Kanal was later recorded on camera promising more violence if no action was taken against Kamra.

The activist-comedian's remarks were made during an act recorded in January this year, which was posted on Kamra's YouTube channel as a video titled in March. He has, in fact, been staging the act for over a year, a fact which clearly escaped the notice of the fervent Shiv Sainiks.

The ongoing controversy has, if anything, helped Kamra's cause, with the video having drawn over 12 million views and thousands of rupees in viewer donations.

Mumbai Police has issued three notices to Kamra — who now lives in Puducherry though it isn't clear if that is his current location — seeking his personal appearance, but he has skipped all of them.

There have also been reports of being served notice to join the investigation, though no follow-up reports have emerged.

With PTI inputs