'I'm done! Goodbye!': Comedian Munawar Faruqui reacts after show cancelled in Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 28: The Bengaluru police have denied permission to Munawar Faruqui's stand-up comedy show in the city on Sunday amid protest by the Hindu right wing outfits who alleged that the artist had hurt the Hindu sentiments in one of his shows.
"Yes, we have denied him permission. He will not perform any public show today," a senior police officer told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Faruqui also shared a statement on social media confirming that his Bengaluru show that had sold "600 plus" tickets was cancelled Sunday in the wake of the "threats to venue vandalism" and said he was "done".
"My name is Munawar Faruqui. And that's been my time, you guys were (a) wonderful audience. Good bye, I'm done," he said.
The proceeds from the show were supposed to be donated to late Kannada star Puneeth Rajkumar's charitable organisation.
In the same statement, the 29-year-comic said they initially did not want to reveal that the show was for charity.
"Putting me in jail for the joke I never did to cancelling my shows which has nothing problematic in it. This is unfair. This show has gained so much love from people in India irrespective of their religion. This is unfair (sic)" he added in his Twitter statement.
Faruqui claimed that his 12 shows were called off in the last two months because of the threats to the venue and audiences.
The comedian also claimed they have a "censor certificate of the show", which proves there was "nothing problematic" in the stand-up act.
Faruqui, however, found support in actors Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and Swara Bhasker.
Ayyub urged the comic to not lose hope.
"And WE Failed once again as a society . looking forward to see you back on stage.." he tweeted.
Bhasker described the turn of events as "heartbreaking and shameful" and apologised to Faruqui.
"A project of hate & bigotry will always hate an articulate, rational, educated, charming, talented & funny Other' who connects beyond identity with a heterogeneous public.. make no mistake Munawwar, Umar Khalid & other such articulate Muslims are a huge threat to Hindutva," she wrote on the microblogging site.
"Also.. it's heartbreaking & shameful how we as a society have allowed bullying and gaslighting to become normalised. I'm sorry Munawwar!" she said in a follow-up tweet.
According to reports, Faruqui had planned a performance 'Dongri To Nowhere' on Sunday evening. The show was organised in Bengaluru by Vishal Dhuria and Siddharth Das of New Delhi-based Curtain Calls Event.
However, various right wing organisations including Sriram Sena and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, had lodged a complaint with the Bengaluru city police Commissioner against the comedian charging him of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus by allegedly insulting Hindu Gods.
The inspector of the Ashokanagar police station in the city under whose jurisdiction the Good Shepherd Auditorium falls wrote a letter to the organisers on Saturday to call off the event as the comedian is a controversial figure.
"It is learnt that Munawar Faruqui is a controversial figure..... Many states have banned his comedy shows. It is learnt that a case has been registered against him in the Tukoji police station in Indore of Madhya Pradesh," the inspector said in his letter.
He also stated that many organisations are opposing his show, which may cause chaos, disturb peace and harmony and create a law and order problem.
"Therefore, it is suggested that you should cancel Faruqui's stand-up comedy show," the letter said.
Earlier this year, Faruqui was arrested by the Indore Police in a case for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and was in jail for almost a month. The comic, who has alleged heavy trolling against him on social media in the past, was released from the Indore central jail on February 7 after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the case.
Faruqui and four others were arrested on January 1 following a complaint by a BJP MLA's son that objectionable remarks about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were passed during a comedy show at a cafe in Indore on New Year's day.
The Apex court also stayed the production warrant issued against Faruqui by a court in Prayagraj in connection with an FIR lodged there.
Nafrat jeet hai, Artist haar gaya.
— munawar faruqui (@munawar0018) November 28, 2021
Im done! Goodbye! INJUSTICE pic.twitter.com/la4xmaeQ0C
View this post on Instagram
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Train to Kashmir: 22-bogie train's trial run successful on Katra-Srinagar line
Jammu: A 22-bogie train chugged between Katra and Srinagar railway stations on Sunday, officials said, marking the first successful trial run on the newly completed line to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country via rail.
The train, comprising 18 AC coaches, two luggage carriers and two engines, left the Katra railway station at around 8 am, successfully reaching its destination within four hours under the watchful eyes of the railway authorities, the officials said.
This was the first trial run between Katra and Srinagar, and came within six days after the Commissioner of Railway Safety (Northern Circle) Dinesh Chand Deshwal authorised the opening of the newly constructed Broad Gauge line.
He had given the authorisation for the start of public carriage of goods and passenger traffic in a seven-page letter to the ministry and railway authorities, based on his detailed inspection of the track on January 7 and 8.
The CRS referred to his inspection of the newly constructed BG line between the Katra and Reasi section by a motor trolley and on foot, followed by a speed trial on the entire section from Katra to Banihal.
He had then authorised regular opening of the section for passengers and freight traffic at a maximum permissible speed of 85 Kmph on the main line and 15 Kmph on turnout.
The work on the dream project to link Kashmir by train was started in 1997 and it missed several deadlines given geological, topographical and meteorological challenges.
Out of the total 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209 km was commissioned in phases with the first phase of the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, followed by 18 km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013, 25 km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014 and 48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February, last year.
The work on the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section was also completed in June last year, leaving a total of 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra. And this section was finally completed in December 2024 as announced by the Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was successfully conducted on the Katra-Banihal section. The railways has conducted six trials over the past month on various segments of the track, including the two major milestones of the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges.
Katra-Srinagar Rail Link: First 18-Coach Train Completes Trial Run Successfully pic.twitter.com/p68axcUClX
— Daily Excelsior (@DailyExcelsior1) January 19, 2025
