After the cancellation of several of his recent shows due to threats from right-wing groups, standup comedian Munawar Faruqui performed in Mumbai on Saturday backed by a wing of the Congress, All India Professional Congress (AIPC).
“We facilitated Munawar Faruqui’s performance in Mumbai yesterday. Artists should have creative freedom as long as they abide by the constitution and respect all faiths. We may disagree with someone’s content but using force to impose our opinion on others is unconstitutional,” tweeted AIPC while sharing pictures from the show.
Recently, Faruqui had hinted that he would quit comedy following the cancellation of his Bangalore show on November 28.
It was the last in a series of as many as 12 of his Dongri To Nowhere shows that were called off over a span of two months due to intimidation by right-wing groups. Faruqui’s shows were cancelled in various cities, such as Ahmedabad, Raipur, Mumbai, and Goa, following threats from Bajrang Dal, the Hindu nationalist militant organisation that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
“I think this is The End. My name is Munawar Faruqui and that’s been my time. You guys were a wonderful audience. Goodbye! I’m done,” Faruqui wrote in his social media post on November 28.
In it, he also referred to his arrest in Indore earlier this year for a “joke he did not make,” which was the beginning of the comedian’s hounding by the right-wing organisations.
On December 6, a police complaint was filed against Faruqui by the Haryana head of BJP’s IT department, Arun Yadav, accusing the comedian of insulting Hindu gods and goddesses and asking the police to ensure he does not perform in Gurgaon.
Following this, on December 7, Faruqui was dropped from the recently-concluded Gurgaon Comedy Festival. The organisers cited “public safety” concerns as the reason for the decision and mentioned that they had received repeated calls and messages opposing Faruqui’s participation.
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However, on Saturday, Faruqui was able to perform his show at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. AIPC Maha President Mathew Antony had intimated the Church Gate Police Station ahead of the event requesting police protection for the audience.
Following the show, Faruqui took to Twitter and thanked the Mumbai Police and Antony for “standing for democracy and rights of an individual.”
Faruqui has also announced two new upcoming shows in Pune and Kolkata on January 7 and 16, respectively.