Comedian Munawar Faruqui on Saturday performed in Mumbai at a show that was facilitated by All India Professional’s Congress of Maharashtra. This was his first event after 16 cancellations in several cities because of threats from Hindutva. Over the past few months, his shows have been cancelled in Bengaluru, Gurugram, Raipur, Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Goa, and Mumbai as Hindutva groups have constantly targeted him since he was arrested in January in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city.The comedian was arrested in Indore on the basis of a complaint about a purported joke that he had not even made. The complainant had alleged that the comedian was going to make objectionable statements about Hindu gods during the show.

In November, when Faruqui’s Bengaluru show was cancelled, he had announced that he might not perform anymore. “I think this is the end,” he had written in a post on social media. “My name is Munawar Faruqui and that’s been my time. You guys were wonderful audience. Goodbye, I’m done.”

Artists should have creative freedom as long as they abide by the constitution and respect all faiths,” the All India Professionals’ Congress said in a tweet on Sunday. “We may disagree with someone’s content but using force to impose our opinion on others is unconstitutional.”Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that freedom of expression was a fundamental right, for which the members of All Indian Professional’s Congress stand. The AIPC – which defines itself as a “platform to contribute to the advancement of inclusive and progressive politics in India” – won praise for supporting the young comic.

We facilitated #MunawarFaruqui’s performance in Mumbai yesterday.

Artists should have creative freedom as long as they abide by the constitution & respect all faiths.

We may disagree with someone’s content but using force to impose our opinion on others is unconstitutional. https://t.co/gx4rP7naUE pic.twitter.com/sz2vd36AUE

— AIPC – Maharashtra (@AIPCMaha) December 19, 2021

Well done @mathewmantony @aipcMaha. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right & a value that all of us in @profCong stand for. Proud of my colleagues for doing the right thing. @munawar0018 @INCIndia https://t.co/LKpLQ0Dq2d

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 19, 2021