'That scares me': Munawar Faruqui says he gets 50 threat calls daily

Just days after three of his shows in Mumbai were cancelled following threats from Bajarang Dal, stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui said that if the youth of the country can decide who to vote for, they can also choose what to watch.

In an interview with NDTV, he said that everyone is targeted. "In my case, they use religion. That scares me".

"I get 50 threat calls daily, I had to change my SIM card thrice. When my number gets leaked, people call up and abuse me," he said.

Also Read — 'We will burn the place': Munawar Faruqui's shows cancelled over Bajrang Dal threats

Faruqui alleged that the right-wing group threatened to burn down the venues, leaving venue owners concerned. "...if someone threatens that he will burn the place down, vandalise it, he will think. This is wrong, this is a free country," he added.

He further claimed that a 10-second video from his 2-hour show has been taken out of context and circulated by the Bajrang Dal, triggering an outrage.

Faruqui, who spent almost a month in jail earlier this year for allegedly mocking Hindu 'Gods and Goddesses', said that he is not being able to work even after the Supreme Court granted bail.

The stand-up comedian also expressed concern over loss to people who had booked tickets for the shows. "What is happening is unfortunate. Lots of wrongs are happening in this country. The bigger issue is that for these three shows, a total of 1,500 people bought tickets a month ago. I feel bad for them. This is a sad reality with which many people in this country are living," he said.

"The audience doesn't care who belongs to which religion or caste. There are no comments on any religion in my shows."

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