Covid-19 forces Munawar Faruqui to cancel show in Hyderabad

Due to new Covid guidelines and restrictions on gatherings, we are calling off the Hyderabad show on January 9

Hyderabad: Comedian Munawar Faruqui’s show, which was scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on January 9, has been cancelled citing COVID-19 regulations.

On Wednesday, he took to Instagram to share the development. He wrote, “Due to new Covid guidelines and restrictions on gatherings, we are calling off the Hyderabad show on January 9.” He added that people who already booked tickets on online platforms would get a refund.

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The Telangana government had announced a ban on rallies, public meetings, and mass gatherings of all types until January 10 following the surge in Covid-19 cases.

Faruqui’s show ‘Dhandho’ had been announced in the city following Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao’s open invite. The minister, at an event, said: “We are a truly cosmopolitan city. In our city, standup comedians get an open invite. We don’t cancel shows of Munawar Faruqui and Kunal Kamra just because we are not aligned with them politically… We are welcoming of all cultures, we are welcoming of criticism.”

Faruqui and Kamra’s shows in Bengaluru were cancelled amid protests by right-wing outfits who alleged that the artists had hurt religious sentiments in their shows. Besides Bengaluru, Faruqui’s shows in Gujarat, Gurgaon, Chhattisgarh, and Goa too were canceled following threats from various Hindutva groups.

Days after the announcement of the show, BJP leaders in Hyderabad too had warned of widespread protests if the show was allowed in the city. State BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar called upon the party Yuva Morcha activists to stop Faruqui from conducting shows in the city.

However, it was Covid-19 that finally forced cancellation of the show.

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