The Hindu Rashtra Samanvaya Samiti has submitted a memorandum to the Bengaluru Police seeking the cancellation of comedian Kunal Kamra’s stand-up comedy show to be held in Bengaluru.
In the memorandum, the organisation claimed that the proposed event could pose a threat to law and order and communal harmony. It urged the police to take preventive measures to avoid any untoward incidents.
Kunal’s new show, titled Standing Up, is scheduled to be held between August 3-6 at URU in Whitefield.
The memorandum, signed by Mohana Gowda and Sundresh Nargal, alleged that Kamra had mocked Hindu beliefs and made controversial remarks during a recent performance in Delhi. The organisation contended that such content had hurt the sentiments of members of the Hindu community.
The Samiti requested the police to cancel the event, review and strengthen security arrangements in and around the venue, and take strict action if any derogatory content is presented during the performance. It also called for legal proceedings to be initiated if any laws are found to have been violated.
There was no immediate response from comedian Kunal Kamra or the event organisers regarding the memorandum. Bengaluru Police has not publicly commented on the request.
Kunal is no stranger to controversy. A joke he made in 2017 attracted the ire of the right-wing. Recently, he was among the petitioners in a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Bombay High Court challenging a rule under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2024, which allowed the government to set up a fact-checking unit that would have the power to remove content.