The Luv Kush Ramlila Committee has decided to drop Poonam Pandey for the role of Mandodari (Ravana’s wife) in Delhi’s 46-year-old Ramlila after facing a backlash from the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

Arjun Kumar, president of the Luv Kush Ramlila Committee, informed the media on Tuesday (September 23) that the organisers have decided not to consider Poonam for the role of Mandodari after opposition from the Hindu community. He said they had communicated their decision to the actress.

Earlier, BJP’s spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor and VHP’s regional head Surendra Jain had written to the Ramlila committee urging the organisers not to cast Poonam Pandey in the mythological epic since her controversial past would hurt the sentiments of the people.

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