Nalin Yadav, Stand-up comedian jailed alongside Munawar Faruqui says still facing harassment

Indore-based stand-up comedian Nalin Yadav, who was arrested with Munawar Faruqui and five others in 2021, has alleged that he is still facing harassment at the hands of local goons.

Yadav who spent 57 days in Indore jail, was arrested for organizing a show that allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Years after his release, Yadav said he is continued to be harassed and is called anti-national. 

On May 26, he shared a video on Instagram where he and his brother are seen getting hit by local goons. However, the video is not of a recent date.

Yadav, 28, said he and his brother have been facing harassment since his arrest .

“In my hometown, I have a new identity as an anti-nationalist. There are a few people who are relatives and known affiliates of the ruling party, who have been harassing my brother and me for three years now. After getting released from jail, I haven’t been home for more than three days in two years because some of the goons here were continuously harassing us,” he alleged in the post.

Check the post:

Yadav was arrested on Jan 1, 2021, after members of a group called the Hind Rakshak Sangathan disrupted his comedy show, alleging that he had “insulted” Hindu gods and goddesses through his jokes.

Even after being granted bail later that year, Yadav has not been able to pursue his stand-up career as no one wanted to work with him. He had to take a job at a factory that manufactures polythene bags in Pithampur industrial area, around 30 km from Indore.

“I changed many jobs, taking up freelance work… I was fired from a company in Indore after they got to know about my case… Fighting these cases has drained me financially,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.