Comedian Pulkit Mani cancels Lucknow and Kanpur shows after threats

Stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani has cancelled his shows in Lucknow and Kanpur following repeated threats from goon activists. Mani shared this in an Instagram statement amid a controversy over his mimicry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a video shared by the Congress party on X, formerly Twitter, Mani engaged in a conversation with Rahul Gandhi. When Gandhi asked, "How are you?" Mani replied, "I'm fine; how are you, Modi ji?" Gandhi responded, "Very nice to meet you," and encouraged Mani to "tell me more."

Union Minister Piyush Goyal referred to the comedian as an "asanskari naraz fufa" (uncultured disgruntled uncle) in a post on X. Meanwhile, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Congress party, saying he had not imagined that a party which was in power for nearly six decades would turn into "such a circus who are busy entertaining their own shrunk supporters."

The controversy has led to the cancellation of Mani's shows in Lucknow and Kanpur. The comedian cited threats from goon activists as the reason for the cancellations. The incident has sparked political reactions and discussions about the use of mimicry and political satire in public discourse.