Comedian Munawar Faruqui’s show cancelled in Bengaluru for second time

A show by Munawar Faruqui, a stand-up comedian, has been cancelled a second time in Bengaluru, with police citing that the organisers had not taken permission for the event.

Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui's show, scheduled to be held on Saturday in Bengaluru, was cancelled by the city police, who said organisers had not taken prior permission to hold the event.

Munawar Faruqui's show has been cancelled in Bengaluru for the second time.

This is the second time that Faruqui's show has been called off in Bengaluru -- the first time in November last year. It was set to be held at the same ground.

The development comes amid tight security being deployed at a venue in Hyderabad where the comedian is set to perform. A day ago, some BJP leaders, including an MLA, were taken into preventive custody, for threatening to damage the venue and attack Faruqui if he performed in the city.

Faruqui was jailed for over a month earlier this year after a show at the Munro café in Madhya Pradesh's Indore.

Faruqui has been accused of hurting religious sentiments in his comedy shows and has had multiple shows in various cities cancelled. At one point, he had at least 12 of his shows cancelled within a span of two months due to threats from right-wing groups.

According to a report by news agency PTI, police in Bengaluru denied permission for the comedian to hold the show, ‘Dongri to nowhere’, which was set to take place at the MNR Convention Hall in JP Nagar.

The PTI report said a right-wing and pro-Hindutva organisation, Jai Shri Ram Sena, had filed a complaint against Faruqui with Bengaluru's top cop Pratap Reddy, alleging that the comedian had hurt Hindu sentiments by making derogatory statements against deities Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.

(With agency inputs)