Rightwing group's protest; Vir Das's Bengaluru show cancelled

Bengaluru: A show by the stand-up-comedian Vir Das, scheduled here for Thursday, got cancelled after a far rightwing organisation issued claims that Das's shows hurt Hindu religious sentiments. Das himself cancelled the programme after the protesting organisation filed a police complaint against the show.

Das said that because of unavoidable circumstances, the Thursday show, planned at the Chowdiah Memorial Hallin Malleshwaram, has been cancelled. Details and fresh dates for the show will be released soon, he added.

It was the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti who filed the police complaint before the Vyalikaqval police station. The organisation said Das had made derogatory comments earlier also that too against women, the Indian Prime Minister and India itself when he performed at John F Kennedy in Washington, DC. It claimed that the comedian belittled India.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti spokesperson quoted Das, "In India, we worship women in the day and rape them at night", as he was saying.

According to the organisation, it is not right to allow him, who had made such derogatory comments, to perform in a communally sensitive place like Bengaluru.

The spokesperson, Sri Mohan Gowda, said that Karnataka is already facing many law and order problems because of communal incidents. Therefore shows like Das's would disturb the peace, and therefore, they should not be allowed, and the programme should be cancelled.

Vir Das featured the contrasting faces of the country in his Two Indiasmonologue. He mentioned a range of topics, from Delhi gang rape to farmer protests.

He had said then that it was his job to put out satire and would continue writing "love letters" to his country as long as he did comedy. Das was nominated for Emmy for his Netflix show "Vir Das: For India".