Rush Hour: BMC razes part of venue where comedian performed, SC stays transfer of Delhi judge & more

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The Mumbai municipal corporation on Monday demolished structures at The Habitat Studio in the city’s Khar area that it claimed were unauthorised, a day after the venue was vandalised by members of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The vandalism followed the circulation of a video showing comedian Kunal Kamra making indirect jokes about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shinde, referring to him as a “traitor”.

Kamra did not name Shinde in his act. A police complaint has been filed against the comedian and an MLA from Shinde’s threatened public retaliation unless Kamra apologises. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed freedom of speech has limits and accused Kamra of defaming Shinde.

The Habitat Studio said it was “broken” by the attack and would shut temporarily. Read on.

The civic authorities in Nagpur on Monday demolished parts of the home of Fahim Khan, a Minorities Democratic Party leader accused of involvement in the communal violence that broke out in the city on March 17. Khan and five others face sedition charges and are accused of spreading misinformation online.

The violence followed a protest by Hindutva groups demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in...

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