‘We’re very tolerant of criticism': KTR says Munawar Faruqui, Kunal Kamra are welcome to perform in Hyderabad
Describing Hyderabad as a ‘truly cosmopolitan’ city, the minister said that the Telangana govt, in fact, receives brickbats everyday from the opposition.
With shows of stand-up comedians Munawar Faruqui and Kunal Kamra cancelled in Bengaluru, Telangana minister KT Rama Rao has described Hyderabad as a city where they, as well as others, can come and perform, saying that the state government is ‘very tolerant’ of all the criticism that it is subjected to.
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Hyderabad, the minister said, is a ‘truly cosmopolitan city.’
“In our city, stand-up comedians get an open invite. We don't cancel shows of Munawar Faruqui and Kunal Kamra just because not we're not aligned with them politically. Therefore, we're a truly cosmopolitan city, which is welcoming of all cultures, welcoming of criticism. You can come here, criticise government. In fact, we receive a lot of brickbats from our opposition everyday, but we're very tolerant,” the Telangana urban development and IT minister said at a function.
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Hyderabad welcomes everyone who wants to come here and make the city their home, he further said, adding that with more opportunities and investment, Telangana's capital is ‘truly growing and becoming a global city.’
KT Rama Rao, also known by his initials KTR, had a message for Bengaluru as well. “You claim to be a cosmopolitan city, and then you end up taking comedy very seriously. I don't understand all that,” he remarked.
Faruqui and Kamra have often been at the receiving end of right-wing groups, who accuse them of insulting Hindu deities in their skits. Last month, the Bengaluru City Police denied permission for Faruqui's show, citing possible ‘law and order problems,’ and also described him as a ‘controversial figure.’
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Days later, Kamra, too, announced cancellation of his shows in Karnataka's capital, scheduled across the following 20 days.
In January this year, Faruqui and four other comedians were arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. He was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in February.