TMC invites comedian Vir Das to Kolkata after Bengaluru show cancelled

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, Derek O'Brien, has invited stand-up comedian Vir Das to Kolkata on Friday, a day after his show in Bengaluru was cancelled at the last minute due to protests by Hindu right-wing groups.

The protesting groups claimed that Das's show, scheduled to be held on Thursday, would offend Hindu religious sentiments.

The TMC's Rajya Sabha leader tweeted, "Hello @thevirdas, come to #Kolkata this winter. We would love to have you here. DM me, please. Let's get this going."

Following pressure from the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, the show's organiser was forced to cancel the housefull event. The ticket price ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 per person. The show's organisers will reimburse those who purchased tickets.

The comedian's show in Bengaluru, scheduled for November 10, 2022, was cancelled due to objections from a Hindu organisation. The performance was scheduled at Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bengaluru's Malleshwaram neighbourhood. On Instagram, Vir Das announced that the show had been rescheduled 'due to unavoidable circumstances.'

Das later posted a video on Twitter to dispel any misconceptions about his content. "This video was made after one of my shows, Just in Case. I'm not interested in media spectacles or being used for headlines. I'm an artist. I shouldn't be making headlines. Many assumptions about my content are made. I believe that my art and my audience will speak for me. #TrustTheAudience," Das tweeted. 

Das' monologue, 'I come from two Indias,' sparked outrage a year ago when he was accused of defaming the country.

On Monday, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti filed a police complaint with the Vyalikaval police station. The complaint claims, "Previously, he had made derogatory remarks about women, our Prime Minister, and India at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, America, and had denigrated the country. During the performance, he said, "In India, we worship women during the day and rape them at night," said Sri Mohan Gowda, state spokesperson for the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.

The right-wing organisation complained that allowing such a controversial person to hold a programme in a communally sensitive area like Bengaluru is not right.

Also read: Bengaluru: Hindu Janajagruti Samiti ask police to revoke permission for Vir Das' show

Also read: Post Vir Das, 'The Kashmir Files' director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri delivers powerful speech in USA

Also read: Vir Das slammed for Two Indias video: Raj Singh Arora, Chetan Bhagat criticise comedian