FACT CHECK: No, the arrest of Munawar Faruqui was not just because he was joking with Amit Shah

FACT CHECK: No, the arrest of Munawar Faruqui was not just because he was joking with Amit Shah

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CLAIM
Journalist Rana Ayyub, who writes opinion pieces for the Washington Post, published a tweet alleging that comedian Munawar Faruqui was arrested for cracking a joke on Home Secretary Amit Shah.

Ayyub’s tweet was quoted by a Pakistani journalist, who compared India and Pakistan and insinuated that freedom of expression is being suppressed in both countries.

Similar tweets were made claiming that Faruqui’s arrest was only because he mocked Shah.

A video was also circulated to allege that the police beat Faruqui while arresting him.

The video shows a man being arrested by police while a spectator strikes him.
TRUTH
The claims are misleading.
Faruqui was arrested for alleged mockery and insulting Hindu deities. According to the complaint, immoral remarks were made against Hindu gods and goddesses along with Amit Shah during Faruqui’s performance. Ayyub omits a bit about ‘Hindu gods’ in her tweet.
Times of India reported on January 3, 2021. According to the report, Faruqui and four others were arrested in Indore on Friday night during a performance in a cafe in the popular Chhappan Dukan area in the city.
Others arrested along with Munawar Faruqui have been identified as Edwin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas, Priyam Vyas and Nalin Yadav.

Complainant Aklavya Singh Gaur confirms that the complaint was registered by him because Faruqui made derogatory remarks about Hindu gods and mocked the victims of Godhra massacre in 2002, where 58 Hindus returning from Ayodhya were harassed by a Muslim mob was burnt to death.
Gaur says that Shah’s name was dragged by Faruqui to suggest that the Interior Minister was behind the burning of Kar Sevaks.

On top of that, the man in the viral video who was beaten when he was arrested by police is not Faruqui. When he takes a closer look, he confirms that he is someone else.
The video was initially posted by a user named Sanyam Jain and it shows an accomplice being taken away from Faruqui.

The same has been confirmed, is NDTV journalist Anurag Dwary.

VERDICT
Times Fact Check found allegations of Faruqui’s arrest for mocking Amit Shah to be misleading. A charge was filed against him for several reasons, including derogatory remarks against Hindu deities, falsification of Godhra massacre and mockery of Shah.

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