Comedian Munawar Faruqui has called the cancellation of his scheduled show in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern state of Karnataka a "victory of hate".
"Hate has won, artist has lost. I'm done, goodbye. Injustice", Faruqui wrote on Instagram.
"Hate has won, artist has lost. I'm done, goodbye. Injustice", Faruqui wrote on Instagram.
Hours before Faruqui's show was to begin, the city's police objected to the event because, according to them, it posed a "law and order" challenge. The security officials even labelled him a "controversial figure".
On Saturday, police in Bengaluru wrote a letter to the organisers of Faruqui's show, the Curtain Call, stating their apprehensions regarding his programme in Karnataka's capital.
"It has been learned that cases have been registered against him (Munawar Faruqui) in several states. There is credible information that several organisations oppose this stand-up comedy show and this could create chaos and could disturb the public peace and harmony which may further lead to law and order problems", the police said in the letter.
A senior officer from the Bengaluru Police, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the news publication The Indian Express that Faruqui's past, where he was found to have made provocative statements against one particular religion, was the main reason behind their objection to his show.
"Munawar Faruqui is a controversial figure and many states have banned his shows. He has been banned for making controversial statements against a specific religion. The organisers gave a letter on 15 November seeking police protection (for the show) and we have cancelled it", the police officer said.
Since he was arrested at the start of 2021 for hurting religious sentiments before being granted bail by the Supreme Court of India, Faruqui had been unable to perform in the country.
On several occasions, the police have denied him permission, citing backlash from the majority Hindu community. The Bengaluru show was his 12th successive show to be cancelled this year.