After Several Cancelled Shows, Munawar Faruqui Performs In Mumbai; Kolkata Next

Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui, who was last month denied permission to hold a show in Bengaluru amid protests by some right-wing outfits, is set to perform in Kolkata next month. This comes just weeks after he had announced on microblogging site Twitter that he might not perform anymore.

On Saturday, December 18, the comedian performed at a show in Mumbai that was facilitated by the All India Professional's Congress (AIPC) of Maharashtra. The 29-year-old comic has scheduled two more shows on January 7, and 16, 2022, at Pune and Kolkata, respectively. Earlier this month, event organisers across the country cancelled Faruqui's several performances after mounting pressure and threats from different right-wing groups.

Following the Mumbai show, All India Professional's Congress said in a statement, "It is important for each one of us to live the values of the constitution that will take us through various phases of argument, dissent, protest, criticism, sarcastic forms of criticism as these are essential elements that will keep checks and balances on democracy".

We facilitated #MunawarFaruqui's performance in Mumbai yesterday.

Artists should have creative freedom as long as they abide by the constitution & respect all faiths.

We may disagree with someone's content but using force to impose our opinion on others is unconstitutional. https://t.co/gx4rP7naUE pic.twitter.com/sz2vd36AUE

— AIPC - Maharashtra (@AIPCMaha) December 19, 2021

Comedian Munawar Faruqui Faces Series of Cancelled Shows:

Last month, the comic had announced on social media that he might not do any more shows after 12 of his performances were cancelled within a few weeks due to threats from right-wing groups.

The comic had expressed his dejection in an Instagram post, saying, "...I think this is the end. My name is Munawar Faruqui, and that that's been my time. You guys were a wonderful audience. Goodbye, I'm done." he said. As per an India Today report, in November, the Bengaluru Police had denied permission to Faruqui's stand-up comedy show due to protests by Hindu right-wing outfits. The outfits had alleged that he had hurt Hindu sentiments in one of his shows.

Nafrat jeet hai, Artist haar gaya.
Im done! Goodbye! INJUSTICE pic.twitter.com/la4xmaeQ0C

— munawar faruqui (@munawar0018) November 28, 2021

In a Twitter post, the comic had said his show had sold more than 600 tickets. As per the post, the proceeds from the show were to be sent to Late Puneeth Rajkumar's charity organisation. Bengaluru police said, "It is learned that Munawar Faruqui is a controversial figure as he has made controversial statements on other religions' gods." according to NDTV. The police had stated that there were credible threats which indicated that the show could lead to chaos and disturb public peace and harmony.

Telangana IT Minister Extends Invitation to Faruqui to Perform in Hyderabad

As per a Twitter broadcast, at an event in Hyderabad, the Telangana IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) has also extended an "open invitation" to comedians to perform in Hyderabad.

Taking a dig at authorities cancelling Faruqui's shows in Bengaluru, he said, "Bengaluru claims to be a cosmopolitan city, but takes comedy too seriously". He stated that Hyderabad welcomes people from all over the country and all over the world, asserting that the city is truly cosmopolitan. "In our city, stand-up comedians get an open invite. We do not cancel shows of Munawar Faruqui and Kunal Kamra just because we're not aligned with them politically." he said.

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