Comedian’s show in Hyderabad canceled following threats from BJP MP

Comedian Daniel Fernandes’ show, scheduled to be held at a Jubilee Hills venue on June 29, has been cancelled following video threats posted by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Goshamahal T. Raja Singh. The MP alleged that the comedian had made offensive remarks against the Jain community and that his party members would harm him if he came to Hyderabad to perform.

Daniel Fernandes, who is on tour with his new stand-up special ‘Do you Know Who I Am?’, was supposed to perform at Heart Cup Coffee in Jubilee Hills at 4 pm on June 29. However, the comedian faced criticism online after his latest video against the Jain community went viral after Bakrid and sparked a controversy.

In a video posted on his social media platforms, the BJP MP warned Fernandes to cancel his show. “On Bakrid, a comedian named Daniel Fernandes made bad jokes and made fun of the Jain community. I want to remind him that you have a show in Banjara Hills today (Saturday), right? It’s better that you cancel the show, otherwise our karyakarta maps “They will come there and beat you up. You will think 50 times before coming to Telangana,” Singh said in the video.

Raja Singh also recalled the tensions created in Hyderabad, when comedian Munawar Farooqui 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 this situation gets out of hand, the police will be held responsible.” Following this, Daniel Fernandes, in a video statement posted on his Instagram on June 29, said that they were forced to postpone the Hyderabad show after threats of violence. “No one is ready to guarantee the safety of my audience, my team and myself. I don’t want to put anyone in danger because of something I said,” Fernandes said. He also said that the video that offended the Jain community has been removed. “However, we are still receiving calls, messages and emails threatening us with violence and vandalism.”

He apologized to the Jain community and said, “It’s okay to disagree with an artist’s work, but saying that I’m going to inflict violence on an artist because I don’t like their work is not the answer. To the Jain community: I repeat. There was no intention to malign anyone here. I see you’re upset. I see you’re angry. It makes me really sad. I don’t like how I feel right now. I don’t like how you feel right now. That’s not comedy. Comedy is all about us coming together, forgetting our worries and laughing.”

Earlier in 2022, MP Raja Singh had threatened to use violence against Munawar Farooqui, who was scheduled to perform in Hyderabad. The comedian was accused of hurting Hindu sentiments and his show scheduled for January 2022 was canceled following his threats. Later, Farooqui performed at the Shilpakala Vedika after the intervention of the then Information Technology Minister KT Rama Rao.