• Source:JND
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Unfazed with the backlash he is facing over his jokes on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, standup comedian Kunal Kamra on Wednesday shared a new parody video mocking Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, with an interesting rendition of the famous Bollywood song "Hawa Hawai".

Kunal Kamra's new video came amid as Mumbai police rejected his request seeking a week's time to join questioning and will issue a second summons to him today, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 35. Earlier, Mumbai Police sent a summons to the stand-up artist asking him to appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday.

In the parody song, titled, "Aapka tax ka paisa ho raha hai hawa hawai" (your tax money is going to waste), Kamra can be heard slamming the taxation system and mentioning how only the common man has to bear the brunt of corporate culture and face problems.

The song also features the poor condition of roads in India and delayed developmental projects. He also accused the BJP-led Central government of neglecting the issues faced by the commoners. "Traffic badhane yeh hai aayi, bridges giraane yeh hai aayi, kehte hai isko tanashahi (dictatorship)," read the lyrics of the parody song.

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Targeting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the lyrics say, "Logon ki lootne kamaai, sari waali didi aayi, salary churaane yeh hai aayi, middle class dabaane yeh hai aayi, popcorn khilaane yeh hai aayi, kehte hai isko Nirmala tai."

The popcorn reference likely alludes to the controversy surrounding the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates applied to different variations of the snack. Earlier this year, Nirmala Sitharaman faced criticism from the opposition over the issue, as the multiple tax slabs—ranging from 5% to 18%—sparked debate over the complexity and fairness of GST classifications.

The opposition argued that such variations in taxation created confusion and burdened consumers, while the government defended the slabs as necessary for maintaining tax parity across different food products.

Kamra sparked up a political storm with his controversial 'gaddar' (traitor) joke, which was allegedly aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Several political leaders condemned Kamra's statement during a stand-up show and sought action against him. Kamra, however, on Tuesday, shared a new video to mock Shiv Sena workers for vandalising Mumbai's The Habitat comedy club, where he had performed earlier.

On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said, "Our CM Devendra Fadnavis had responded on this issue on behalf of the government. Our CM has said that action will be taken as per the law. Fadnavis, while speaking in the state Assembly on Monday, stated that the government would not accept freedom of expression if it led to tyranny.

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"We appreciate humour and satire. We accept political satire, but we do not accept freedom of expression if it leads to tyranny. This artist makes statements against the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice; he wants to gain fame by creating controversy. He targeted Eknath Shinde and staged a low-quality comedy," the CM said.