Who’s Rahool Kanal, the Shiv Sena youth chief, who vandalised Mumbai studio after Kunal Kamra’s present?

Rahool Kanal, a well-liked Shiv Sena youth chief and as soon as an in depth aide of Aaditya Thackeray, has discovered himself in the course of a serious controversy. He led a bunch of celebration staff in vandalising Mumbai’s Habitat Studio after comic Kunal Kamra made contentious remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde throughout a stand-up efficiency.

The assault passed off late Sunday evening, allegedly in response to Kamra’s parody tune and his reference to Shinde as a “gaddar” (traitor). Kanal and several other others have been arrested quickly after the incident, however an area court docket granted them bail the identical day.

Defending his actions, Kanal warned Kamra in opposition to criticising Shiv Sena leaders. Chatting with the media, he stated, “That is only a trailer. If anyone says something derogatory about our senior chief or our elders, we won’t spare them. Everytime you [Kamra] are in Mumbai, you’re going to get lesson in Shiv Sena fashion.”

However who precisely is Rahool Kanal? How did he and others ransack the Habitat? Right here’s all the pieces you might want to know.

Kanal’s decade-long affiliation with Shiv Sena

Rahool Kanal, 39, is the Basic Secretary of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. His affiliation with the celebration dates again to 2010, when Aaditya Thackeray based the youth wing of the then-undivided Shiv Sena.

Beginning as a grassroots employee, Kanal was appointed the primary district president of Yuva Sena in Mumbai. Over time, he climbed the ranks, changing into a committee member and an in depth aide of Aaditya Thackeray.

Nevertheless, in July 2023, he parted methods with Shiv Sena (UBT), citing variations with leaders like Suraj Chavan and Varun Sardesai. He additionally expressed frustration over Aaditya Thackeray’s management. Quickly after, he joined the Shinde faction and have become a key determine in its Yuva Sena.

Throughout the Maharashtra Meeting elections, Kanal performed a vital position within the celebration’s digital marketing campaign. Because the state head of its social media technique, he labored to counter allegations made by Thackeray’s faction in opposition to the federal government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC).

Bollywood & enterprise

A well known determine in Mumbai’s upscale locality of Bandra, Kanal has shut connections with a number of Bollywood celebrities and sports activities personalities. His circle consists of Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav.

He even owns a restaurant named Bhaijaanz, which he has named after Salman Khan.

Past politics and leisure, Kanal is concerned in philanthropy. He runs a number of NGOs, together with ‘I Love Mumbai’, which focuses on supporting underprivileged communities and rescuing avenue animals. He has additionally been energetic in company social duty (CSR) initiatives.

His affect extends to non secular and civic establishments. He was appointed a trustee of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Belief (SSST) in Shirdi and served as a member of the BMC’s schooling committee in 2017.

Previous controversies

Kanal isn’t any stranger to controversy.

In 2022, the Revenue Tax division raided his premises in Mumbai as a part of an investigation into an alleged hawala racket involving Shiv Sena chief Yashwant Jadhav, who was then the chairman of the BMC’s standing committee.

Nevertheless, sources advised The Indian Categorical that the searches didn’t set up any hyperlinks between Kanal and Jadhav’s case. As a substitute, they have been associated to a separate occasion of suspected tax evasion.

Kanal was additionally drawn into the storm surrounding the 2020 deaths of Disha Salian and Sushant Singh Rajput.

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, who’s now a minister, accused Aaditya Thackeray and his aides of being concerned within the case. Kanal, who was named within the allegations, responded strongly.  

“Social media is a accountable platform. I received’t bow right down to the irresponsible on-line bullying from anybody. Taking the authorized recourse as my lawyer…might be serving the defamation discover to Mr Rane on his unwarranted allegations,” he stated.

His involvement within the Kunal Kamra case

The controversy erupted after comic
Kunal Kamra carried out a satirical routine at Mumbai’s Habitat Studio, taking jabs at Eknath Shinde. Throughout his set, Kamra referred to the deputy chief minister as a “gaddar” (traitor) and delivered a parody of a well-known tune from the movie Dil To Pagal Hai.

His efficiency touched upon Maharashtra’s shifting political panorama, notably the divisions inside Shiv Sena and the NCP. At one level, Kamra sang, “Meri nazar se tum dekho to gaddar nazar wo aaye. Haaye,” mocking the factional splits.

This didn’t sit effectively with members of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction). In retaliation, a mob of round 20 celebration staff, led by Rahool Kanal,
stormed the Habitat Studio on Sunday evening, vandalising the venue and inflicting vital injury.

The Habitat membership, situated in Mumbai’s Khar, was established in 2016 by Balraj Singh Ghai, a Mumbai-based businessman. His Instagram bio describes him as somebody who “loves individuals who use expertise for nonsense.”

Mumbai police acted swiftly, arresting 12 people concerned within the assault, together with Kanal. They recognized 19 folks within the FIR, whereas 15 to twenty others who participated within the ransacking stay unidentified.

Following their arrest, Kanal and the others have been introduced earlier than a Justice of the Peace’s court docket in Bandra. Initially, they have been remanded to 14-day judicial custody. Nevertheless, they later utilized for bail and have been launched upon furnishing a money bond of Rs 15,000 every.

‘That is only a trailer, image abhi baaki hai’

After the FIR was filed in opposition to Kanal and his associates, he issued a direct warning to Kamra, vowing retaliation.

“We had complained, we had additionally known as the proprietor (of Habitat set) and advised him that there had been 6 FIRs in opposition to this place prior to now… Our message for Kunal Kamra is that we’ll educate him a lesson for what he did, however this can be a paid conspiracy, and the Mumbai police is able to exposing it,” Kanal advised ANI.

#WATCH | Maharashtra | On FIR registered in opposition to him, Shiv Sena Yuva Sena (Shinde faction) Basic Secretary Rahool Kanal says, “It isn’t about taking any regulation in your arms. It’s purely about your self-respect. With regards to elders or respectable residents of the nation…… https://t.co/z0D45UKgOD pic.twitter.com/MLWPNYrYno

— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2025

He doubled down on his stance with a strongly worded message: “Abhi tak toh ye trailer hai, image abhi baaki hai.”

Defending the assault, Kanal insisted that it wasn’t about breaking the regulation however about “self-respect.”

“It isn’t about taking any regulation in your arms. It’s purely about your self-respect. With regards to elders or respectable residents of the nation… when your elders are focused, you’ll goal somebody of that mentality… The message (for Kunal Kamra) is evident, ‘Abhi tak toh ye trailer hai, image abhi baaki hai.’ At any time when you might be in Mumbai, you’re going to get lesson in Shiv Sena fashion,” he added.

Regardless of the threats,
Kamra has refused to again down. Taking to X (previously Twitter), he wrote, “I cannot apologise. I don’t worry this mob, and I cannot be hiding beneath my mattress, ready for this to die down.”

With enter from companies