Mumbai: Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali concert in Mumbai has been cancelled after Bharatiya Janata Party's ally Shiv Sena threatened protest outside the venue. The decision was taken after a meeting between organisers and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Terming the decision to cancel the concert 'wrong', Ghulam Ali said, "I have not cancelled the concert but atmosphere was not conducive for me to perform. A wrong decision has been taken. We want relations between India and Pakistan to improve."
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Ghulam Ali will be given full protection by the government. It is not right to involve a legand like Ghulam Ali in politics."
The concert was scheduled for October 9 in the memory of legendary singer Jagjit Singh.
The organisers have decided to ahead with the programme but Ghulam Ali will not be performing in it.
Hitting out at the government, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said that such things do not happen in his country. "I can only regret that Ghulam Ali is not allowed to do concert in Mumbai. We encourage our artists to visit both sides and perform. Our policy is very constructive."
This is not the first time that the Sena has expressed its opposition to Pakistani artistes. In April, Pakistani singer Atif Aslam's concert in Hadapsar, Pune was cancelled after a strong opposition from Shiv Sena.
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