Reminiscent of science-fiction action film Minority Report, 28-year-old Munawar Faruqui was arrested on 2 January for a joke he had not made – but could have. Faruqui was arrested for violating colonial-era, anti-blasphemy laws under Sections 295 A and 269 of the Indian Penal Code. Yet, curiously, eyewitnesses said Faruqui's show was shut down before it had even started. Jenosha Anges, who was at the show, posted a timeline of the night on her Instagram page.
"Munawar Faruqui had his comedy show in Indore on 1st January 2021, his show was cancelled midway, and he was arrested by Indore police on allegations of 'making derogatory remarks on Hindu Gods n Goddesses'. I was present in that show, and trust me, no such thing happened," she said in the caption.
Stranger than fiction
Faruqui was arrested while he was performing at a cafe in Indore. Aklavya Gaur, the convener of rightwing non-profit organisation Hind Rakshak Sangathan (HRS), and his associates, complained that the comedian's jokes insulted Indian deities and the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah. Founded in 1998, HRS members describe themselves as 'sentinels of the Hindu nation, religion and culture'.