Shiv Sena Yuva Sena leader Rahool Kanal, who was arrested for vandalizing Mumbai’s Habitat Studio following comedian Kunal Kamra’s controversial joke about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has defended his actions, claiming the incident was not premeditated.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Kanal stated, “We had no intention to vandalise. We went there just to talk, but the response we got triggered it, and it happened in the heat of the moment.”

Kanal and 11 other Shiv Sena workers were arrested by Mumbai Police for ransacking the studio and the hotel where Kamra’s show was filmed. However, they were granted bail within hours.

Explaining the sequence of events, Kanal said that he and his group initially approached the venue’s owner, Balraj, to discuss the show after watching Kamra’s controversial video. However, they claim Balraj’s attitude escalated the situation.

"I know all these artistes, including Kamra and Munawar (Faruqui). I am someone who always supports artists. But when we saw the video, we initially contacted Balraj and enquired about the show. However, he did not talk to us properly and misbehaved," Kanal alleged.

Accusing the venue owner of being dismissive, Kanal added, “He said he rents out the place and does not care who does what after that. He was very arrogant and rude.”

Denying that the attack was planned, Kanal insisted, "The intention was never to destroy the place. We just wanted to have a conversation, but things escalated unexpectedly."

Meanwhile, Kanal has filed a fresh complaint against Kamra at Khar police station, urging authorities to probe the financial transactions of his YouTube channel. He alleged, "There seem to be irregularities that may suggest the movement of funds for unlawful purposes.”