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New Delhi: Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui is again in hot waters as his participation in yet another event in Bandra got cancelled on Wednesday evening.

The event, organised by the Bhamla Foundation at the Carter Road amphitheatre, was part of a campaign to create awareness about environment pollution caused by plastic waste littering. Held in partnership with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Maharashtra, and the United Nations Environment Programme, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was the main guest at the function. It was to be held to commemorate ‘World Environment Day’.

Protests result in ousting of Munawar Faruqui

Faruqui’s ousting from the event occurred after the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal wrote to the local police, asking them to drop Faruqui from the event. This comes after Faruqui was often criticised for insulting Hindu gods in his shows.

Gautam Ravaria, Konkan province co-convenor of Bajrang Dal, spoke in opposition to Faruqui’s participation in the event, “We are opposing this person. We had requested that law and order should not be disrupted and the administration should immediately talk to the head of this organisation and stop this person from coming to the programme; otherwise Bajrang Dal will play its role and protest.”

Later when it was announced that he will not be included in the event, Shriraj Nair, spokesperson for VHP, wrote on X, “We @BajrangDalOrg are greatful to @MumbaiPolice for ensuring this repeated offender (Faruqui) whatever for ensuring that he doesn’t reach the venue ..@Asifbhamlaa Pl ensure you don’t indulge in such irresponsible act of inviting such rogue elements.”

Not the first time for Munawar Faruqui

This is not the first time Munawar Faruqui is going through something similar. In 2021 Faruqui and four others were arrested on January 1 after a BJP MLA’s son complained that objectionable remarks about Hindu deities and Union home minister Amit Shah were passed during a comedy show at a cafe in Indore on New Year’s Day.

After this, Faruqui was arrested by the Indore Police in a case for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and was in jail for almost a month. This later resulted in the cancellation of many of his shows during the same year, like in Bengaluru and Goa.