After Navi Mumbai, Rape Convict Asaram's Controversial Posters Promoting 'Matru-Pitru Pujan Diwas' Surface In Mumbai's Lower Parel

Mumbai: Posters featuring rape convict Asaram, promoting 'Matru-Pitru Pujan Diwas' (Parents' Worship Day), were spotted in Lower Parel on Thursday, sparking outrage. The posters were pasted on the Delisle Road bridge, and their images quickly surfaced online.

Journalist Sumit Sharma from the Free Press Journal shared photos of the controversial posters from the Lower Parel area. However, there is no clarity on who put them up or whether the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had permitted their display.

Controversial Banner Outside Vashi Station Removed

Meanwhile, a similar controversy unfolded in Navi Mumbai, where a banner promoting Asaram was removed from outside Vashi railway station on Tuesday evening. The removal came after two days of persistent complaints and follow-ups by concerned citizens and journalists.

Despite the outrage, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) took nearly two hours and around 25 calls before taking action. Sumit Sharma, who first raised the issue, ensured the banner was removed by continuously pressuring the authorities. He waited outside Vashi station for two hours until officials arrived and took it down.

Sharing a video of the removal, Sharma tweeted, “Finallyyyy! RAPE convict Asaram’s poster has been removed from outside Vashi Station. Had to follow up with @NMMConline officials N number of times.”

In another update, he criticised NMMC’s inefficiency, stating, “Even after two days, an official only agreed to remove it after repeated follow-ups. At 6:10 pm, I called again, and after waiting outside Vashi Station for two hours, I ensured the poster was taken down.”

The banners, displayed near Vashi railway station and major bus stops, promoted ‘Parents' Worship Day’ on February 14, an initiative led by Asaram’s ashram. Their presence in public spaces enraged citizens, who questioned how advertisements for a convicted rapist were allowed.

Organised by the Saint Shri Asaram Bapu Ashram in Ahmedabad, ‘Matru-Pitru Pujan Diwas’ encourages celebrating February 14 as Parents' Worship Day instead of Valentine’s Day. The initiative has been controversial for years, with critics arguing that it serves as a way to promote Asaram’s ideology under the guise of cultural values.