Munawwar Farooqui was arrested earlier this year in a case alleging “insulting Hindu deities”.
Highlight
- The show was canceled after Bajrang Dal members threatened the venue owners
- Comic says he is not being allowed to work even after getting bail
- “I get 50 threatening calls daily, had to change my SIM card thrice,” he said
Mumbai:
Stand-up comedian Munawwar Farooqui told NDTV after three shows were canceled in Mumbai following threats from Bajrang Dal that if the youth of the country can decide who to vote for, they can also decide whether want to see.
Mr Farooqui, who was jailed for a month earlier this year, accused him of “insulting Hindu deities”, saying he was not allowed to work even after being granted bail by the Supreme Court. is going
“I get 50 threatening calls daily, I had to change my SIM card thrice. When my number is leaked, people call and abuse me,” he said.
Shows in Mumbai were canceled after members of the right-wing group allegedly threatened to burn down the venues. Announcing the cancellation, Mr. Farooqui had tweeted that the safety of the audience matters most to him.
“What is happening is unfortunate. A lot of mistakes are happening in this country. The bigger issue is that for these three shows, a month ago, a total of 1,500 people bought tickets. I feel bad for them. It’s a sad one. This is the reality with which many people are living in this country,” he said.
He said, ‘Sometimes I used to think that maybe I am wrong, but after what happened I understood that some people are trying to take political advantage of this.
The comic said “everyone is targeted”. “In my case, they use religion. It scares me,” he said.
Mr Farooqui said that after his arrest and bail, he has performed in 50 shows and received a standing ovation in 90 per cent of them. He said, “The audience does not care who belongs to which religion or caste. There is no comment on any religion in my show.”
The stand-up artist said members of Bajrang Dal are targeting him by airing a 10-second clip from the two-hour show.
“You show the clip out of context and say I have insulted (Hindu deities),” he said.
Mr Farooqui said that 80 people, including drivers, volunteers and guards, earn a living from a show. “These are the people who have been unemployed for the past year and a half. I feel bad for them,” he said,
Comic said he told the venue’s owners that there was nothing wrong with their content and that they didn’t have to fear. “But if someone threatens that he will burn the place, break it, he will think. This is wrong, it is a free country.”
“The hate won out, so the shows got cancelled. But for how long? We will win,” he said. He said he would “continue to spread the smile”.
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