Right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have warned standup comedians against making derogatory comments against Hindu Dharma and saints or mocking them.
Right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have warned standup comedians against making derogatory comments against Hindu Dharma and saints or mocking them. The remarks came ahead of standup comedian Munawar Faruqui's shows in Mumbai.
In view of the VHP threat, Munawar cancelled his shows that were scheduled to be held on October 29, 30 and 31. The stand-up comedian said that he was forced to can the 'Dongri to Nowhere' shows as he does not want his audience to go through what he was experiencing. The safety of the audience matters the most to me, he said.
According to reports, Bajrang Dal members from Gujarat threatened the owner of the auditorium in Mumbai's Borivali suburb where Munawar was to perform on October 29. They forced the owner to cancel the show. After that, the group landed up at Rangshardha auditorium in Mumbai's Bandra suburb where the stand-up comedian had two shows lined up.
The Mumbai Police too sent a notice to the auditoriums, which reportedly said that the intended performance contained content that may hurt religious sentiments of certain communities and that if there was any law and order situation that arises due to the stand-up comedy act, organisers will face action and the notice will be used as evidence in court.
To recall, Munawar had been arrested in January this year. He was booked along with four other people for allegedly making derogatory and indecent remarks against Hindu deities during his performance in Madhya Pradesh. The case was filed by local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaur's son Eklavya Singh.
In September too, Faruqui's shows in Gujarat had to be cancelled after the Bajrang Dal staged protests, labelling them as 'anti-Hindu'. In the run-up to the now-cancelled Mumbai shows, there had been calls to ban the show. In fact, on Twitter, the hashtag GoBackMunawar was trending.
Pl find attached letter with regards to one known miscreant self proclaimed stand up comedian who mocks and ridicules Hindu Dharma ,our saints and our way of worship pl note this miscreant is a threat for law nd order .. pic.twitter.com/1FgaS7xUaz
— Shriraj Nair (@snshriraj)
We won't let you spread hatred, Hindu Phobia, and we won't let you insult our gods and goddesses. We won't let you hurt Hindu Sentiments.
Cancel your Mumbai shows, & let us live in peace. Stop spreading hate! Every action has a reaction! pic.twitter.com/ni8hHy5Oi2
Yet there were some who threw their weight behind the stand-up comedian.
If audiences are cowards, it’s best not to perform for them. They don’t deserve to see intelligent brave artists. https://t.co/fp01DmCLzo
— Mona Ambegaonkar (@MonaAmbegaonkar)
Sources close to him told me that goons issued social media threats, followed by threats to the venues where the shows were going to be held.
Worried about the audience's safety, the comic called the shows off.'s post: https://t.co/GYTADRgR0t
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