BJP MLA who threatened Munawar now threatens another comedian
Standup comedian Daniel Fernandes has called off his upcoming performance in Hyderabad due to safety concerns following a threat issued by Goshamahal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA T Raja Singh. Singh had threatened to trash Fernandes if he didn't cancel his show after the latter made jokes about the Jain community during a previous show. The show was scheduled to take place at 4:00pm on Saturday at the Heart Cup Coffee in Jubilee Hills.
Fernandes responds to threats, cancels show
Following the cancellation, Fernandes released a video statement, saying the show had been "rescheduled." He stated, "The video that has offended people has been taken down and I have posted an apology earlier." "However, we are still receiving calls, messages, and emails threatening us with violence and vandalism. Nobody is ready to guarantee the safety of my audience, my crew and myself. I do not want to put anyone in harm's way because of something I said," he said.
Controversial joke sparks backlash
The controversy originated from a joke Fernandes made previously about members of the Jain community disguising themselves as Muslims to save goats during Eid. In a now-deleted video, Fernandes said the same Jains will make the "awakward phone call" back to the Muslims, asking when Eid is to sell the "saved" goats. After the joke went viral on Instagram, Fernandes allegedly received multiple abusive messages.
BJP MLA released a video of the threat
Among those making the alleged threat was the BJP MLA, who also released a video of the threat. "It is better you cancel the show or else our workers will come there and thrash you. You will think 50 times before coming to Telangana," Singh said. "We urge you to cancel his show, if not, the state we will make of his, everyone will remember, so that no one will ever joke on Jains or the Hindu religion," he added.
MLA reminds Fernandes of Munawar incident
The MLA also reminded Fernandes of the tension that erupted when comedian Munawar Faruqui was scheduled to perform in the city in 2022. "You remember when Munawar came to perform right? I want to make it clear that, if situation goes out of hand, it is the police's responsibility," he said. Singh had threatened to burn down the venue of Faruqui's performance, saying the comedian had cracked jokes about Hindu gods.
