What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
After Munawar Faruqui, it’s another stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra who is facing the heat of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). And Kamra’s show is set to be scrapped and may go the Faruqui way.
The management of the bar — Studio Xo Bar in Sector 29 in Gurugram — where Kamra’s show was to be held on September 17 – has decided to cancel it after Bajrang Dal and VHP said the show might trigger communal flare-up and threatened protest if the programme isn’t called off.
However, the Gurugram administration said that they were awaiting a report from the local police, and will take a decision on the matter only after receiving it.
Deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav told The New Indian, “We have asked the local police to make a report and assess the law and order situation. Organisers got the clearance for the show but if we find that it may create law and order problems, we will cancel the show.”
ALSO READ: Why Comedian Munawar Faruqui’s Delhi Show Was Scrapped
He also said that the administration has not cancelled the show as yet. “It will be cancelled only after we get a ‘negative’ report from the local police. The report is likely to come by Monday,” added Yadav.
General Manager of Studio Xo Bar Sahil Dawra told The New Indian that they didn’t know that Kamra’s previous shows had hurt the sentiments of a particular community. “We didn’t know about Kamra’s previous shows. When I got this information from Bajrang Dal and VHP, we decided to cancel the show. We have already informed the organisers,” said Dawra.
He added: “We respect every religion and don’t want to hurt the sentiments of anyone. We have intimated the administration as well.” The organisers had booked the Xo Bar for a few days ago.
On Friday, the VHP and Bajrang Dal members had visited the Xo Bar and demanded cancellation of the show. They wrote a letter to the deputy commissioner stating that Kamra mocks Hindu deities in his shows. His show should be cancelled, or else they would stage a protest against the show.
In its letter to deputy commissioner Yadav, the VHP had said that if the show happens, communal tension could spread in Gurugram. “We want his show to be cancelled as soon as possible. Or else, we will hold a protest,” VHP said in its letter.
Last month, Faruqui’s show was cancelled in the national capital following similar threats by the Bajrang Dal and VHP activists.
