Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray defended stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra over alleged defamatory remarks against Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, stating that calling a “traitor” a *gaddar* is not wrong. "I don't think Kunal Kamra said anything wrong. Listen to the full song and share it," Thackeray said, as quoted by ANI.  

He also distanced his party from the vandalization of Habitat Studio in Mumbai’s Khar area, attributing it to the "gaddar sena" instead. "Shiv Sena has nothing to do with this attack. Those with betrayal in their blood can never be true Shiv Sainiks," he added.  

Shinde split the Shiv Sena in 2022, toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The Election Commission later recognized his faction as the official Shiv Sena, granting him the party’s name and election symbol.