Comedian Munawar Faruqui was removed from a World Environment Day event at the last minute after Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) threatened to protest. The event took place on Wednesday evening at the Carter Road amphitheatre, organised by the Bhamla Foundation, and was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The event aimed to spread awareness about plastic pollution and was supported by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, and the United Nations Environment Programme. Special arrangements were made to protect the audience from rain, and over a thousand people attended.
Earlier in the day, Bajrang Dal and VHP wrote to the police asking them to ensure that Faruqui be dropped from the programme. They claimed that he had insulted Hindu gods in his past shows. Gautam Ravaria, a Bajrang Dal leader, said their protest was only against Faruqui, not the event itself. He warned that if action wasn’t taken, their members would protest on-site. A few hundred activists reportedly gathered near the venue.
Following this, the police informed the organisers, and Faruqui did not attend. Saher Bhamla of the Bhamla Foundation confirmed Faruqui’s absence but did not offer further comments.
On the work front, Munawar Faruqui was recently seen as a special guest on Laughter Chefs season 2.
