Comedian Pulkit Mani cancels three shows after alleged threats over Rahul Gandhi event mimicry

Comedian Pulkit Mani has cancelled his upcoming stand-up shows in Noida, Lucknow and Kanpur, citing "repeated threats from goon activists" following a controversy over his mimicry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Madhya Pradesh.

Mani performed the mimicry during the opposition leader's 'Chhatron ki Goonj' event in Indore, drawing criticism from the BJP.

In an Instagram Story on Monday, the comedian announced that his Noida show had been cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances".

"I regret to inform you that my Noida show has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding and support," he wrote.

The post later disappeared after Instagram's 24-hour limit for Stories.

In a subsequent post, Mani announced the cancellation of his performances in Lucknow and Kanpur, citing the alleged threats.

"Due to repeated threats from goon activists, my Lucknow and Kanpur shows are cancelled," he posted.

The cancellations came amid a controversy over a video shared by the Congress on X on Sunday showing Mani performing a skit with Gandhi at the Indore event.

During the act, Mani came on stage laughing and hugged Gandhi. Gandhi asked him, "I'm fine; how are you, Modi ji?"

Mani responded, "Great harassment", and continued laughing while using the phrase "my friend". Gandhi then said, "Very nice to meet you," and asked Mani to "tell me more".

The comedian continued the act before saying, "Maa ko kursi do, maa", while pointing towards the audience.

The video drew criticism from the BJP, which accused the Congress of turning into a "circus".

Since the controversy erupted, Mani has also shared screenshots on social media of what he said were hate messages he had received.