Hyderabad: BJP youth wing workers protest against Munawar Faruqui's show; Several detained

A number of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers were detained in Hyderabad on August 20 as they protested against Standup comedian Munawar Faruqui's show that is scheduled for August 20, Saturday at the Shilpakala Vedika auditorium in Hyderabad. Significantly, BJP has been opposing Munawar Faruqui since January 1 after he reportedly made objectionable remarks against some Hindu deities and Home Minister Amit Shah on a New Year's day programme during a show in Indore. He was arrested by the local police and later released on bail. Following the incident, Faruqui's shows have been cancelled on several occasions. 

Ahead of the show in Hyderabad, heavy police deployment was seen near the venue. The police can be seen managing the people with tickets for the show, to enter the venue. The police had also ordered to not bring mobile phones and wallets inside the venue.

Telangana BJP calls for boycott of Faruqui's show

Addressing a rally in Khila Shapur of Jangaon district on August 19, Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar called for a boycott of Faruqui's show and said, "We all worship Sita Devi... we see her everywhere in water, air, fire and land. He has insulted our Sita Devi and our lord Rama...TRS party people have called him to Hyderabad as a chief guest. We do not need him, we will boycott him." 

Earlier, BJP MLA from Goshamahal Assembly constituency, Raja Singh, was taken into preventive custody by the Hyderabad city police as he had threatened to damage the set where Munawar Faruqui was scheduled to perform. "Raja Singh was taken into preventive custody by the Hyderabad city police on Friday when he warned City police and was on his way to burn down the set at Shilpakala Vedika, where standup comedian Munawar Faruqui is going to perform on Saturday," said R Sathish Kumar, Goshamahal, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

Image: Twitter/@ANI, Munawar Faruqui