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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Kedarnath Sahani Auditorium at Delhi’s Civic Centre – the venue of controversial stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui’s scrapped show — was booked for Rs 88,500 for a day
Kedarnath Sahani Auditorium at Delhi’s Civic Centre – the venue of controversial stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui’s scrapped show — was booked for Rs 88,500 for a day. The event – scheduled to be held on August 28 between 2 pm and 10 pm – was to be attended by hundreds of people.
The copy of the hall booking is in the possession of The New Indian. It reveals that the organiser, Gursimar Singh, an employee of an entertainment company based in South Delhi, had applied for permission for the show on July 29.
In the copy, booking charges were Rs 75,000, with 13 per cent GST (amounting to Rs 13,500). The total cost to the organiser was Rs 88,500. Besides, the security deposit is mentioned as Rs 40,000, which was refundable.
When The New Indian tried to speak to Gursimar, he feigned ignorance about the matter and declined to comment. He said that he was not aware that the police had denied permission to the show. “I don’t want to comment on the issue,” Gursimar said.
The capacity of the auditorium is around 900 people. “We were not told exactly the number of guests or the guests’ names. But we booked the auditorium after they got permission from the Delhi Police,” said an officer at Civic Centre, on condition of anonymity.
Sources said initially, the Licensing Unit of Delhi Police had granted permission for the event. “However, till then the police was not aware of the guests and the participants”, said sources.
On August 25, when the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) raised objection and threatened to hold protest at Civic Centre against the show, the central district of the Delhi Police conducted security analysis and said the event could disturb communal harmony. After this, the central district police informed the Licensing Unit, which rejected the permission to the show on August 26.
