Fact Check: Kunal Kamra controversy—Sanjay Nirupam calls Eknath Shinde a traitor? No, viral video is edited
A video has been circulating alleging that Sanjay Nirupam, while with Congress, had called current Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde a traitor.
By Md Mahfooz Alam
Claim:Sanjay Nirupam, while with Congress, had called Eknath Shinde a traitor.
Fact:The claim is false. The video has been edited. In the original footage, Nirupam criticises Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi for calling Shinde a traitor.
Hyderabad: During a recent performance in Mumbai, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra sparked controversy with a satirical song that implicitly criticised Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, Eknath Shinde. In the song, Kamra referred to Shinde as a ‘gaddar’ (traitor) for his 2022 political realignment with the BJP, which led to a split from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. The performance provoked significant backlash from Shinde’s supporters, ultimately resulting in the vandalism of the Habitat Comedy Club, where Kamra had performed.
In this context, a video of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader Sanjay Nirupam has been circulating on social media. It allegedly shows him calling Shinde a traitor during his time with the Congress party.
In the video, Nirupam could be heard saying, “It should be written on the forehead of Maharashtra’s honourable chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son that my father is a traitor.”
An X user shared the video and wrote, “He is Sanjay Nirupam, angry with Kunal Kamra. 2 yrs ago, he called Eknath Shinde a Gaddar. Now he is in the Shinde party. SPREAD TO DESTROY PROPAGANDA. (sic)” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the video has been edited to change the context of the remark.
A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to its extended version published by ANI on May 10, 2024.
In the video, Nirupam can be heard saying, “The woman MP of Shiv Sena (UBT) said that Maharashtra chief minister’s son should have ‘Mera baap gaddar hai’ (My father is a traitor) written on his forehead. I want to respond to her by saying that it is Shiv Sena (UBT) that has betrayed—it is Uddhav Thackeray who has betrayed. He has deceived the BJP, the people and Balasaheb Thackeray. If you want ‘Mera baap gaddar hai’ to be written on Shrikant’s forehead, then on Aaditya Thackeray’s forehead, it should say ‘Mera baap maha gaddar hai’ (My father is a great traitor), because they are the ones who have truly betrayed.”
We also found an extended version of the video published by News 24 on May 10, 2024. The YouTube channel stated that Nirupam had attacked Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi over her statement describing Shinde as a traitor.
We also found a PTI report published by The Print on May 9, 2024, titled “‘My father is a traitor’ should be written on Shrikant Shinde’s forehead, says Sena (UBT) MP.”
According to the report, while speaking at a campaign rally for Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Mumbai North East candidate, Sanjay Dina Patil, in Ghatkopar, Priyanka Chaturvedi referenced the 1975 film Deewar.
“There was a Hindi film where ‘Mera baap chor hai’ (My father is a thief) was written on the son’s hand. Similarly, ‘Mera baap gaddar hai’ (My father is a traitor) should be written on Shrikant Shinde’s forehead,” she said.
Therefore, it is clear that Nirupam’s reference to Chaturvedi calling Shinde a traitor has been edited out of the viral video, making it appear as though Nirupam himself called Shinde a traitor. Hence, we conclude that the viral video is edited, and the claim is false.
