Ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali will not keep his date with his fans in Delhi this Sunday.
The renowned Pakistani singer, who was scheduled to perform in Delhi’s Siri Fort auditorium this Sunday following an invitation from the Delhi government, has cancelled all his performances in India.
On Wednesday, the 74-year-old singer cancelled all his forthcoming performances in India, including the one in Delhi this week and another in Lucknow, saying the situation was not conducive for music right now and he doesn’t want to ‘get involved in any kind of politics.’
Mr. Ali’s son Aamir told news agency PTI that his father did not want to perform after what happened in Mumbai where his scheduled concert last month was cancelled after the Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt it. He, however, assured that the singer will visit India when ‘the atmosphere is right.’
“The November 8 concert (in Delhi) is not happening now. After what happened in Mumbai, we don’t want to take any risk. The atmosphere should be right for music. We don’t want to get involved in any kind of politics. So much is happening there, it would not be right for us to come at this time,” Aamir told news agencies.
After his show was cancelled in Mumbai, the singer was invited by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government to visit Delhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also extended an invite to the singer.
A few days later, Delhi’s Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra met the singer in Delhi’s Kalkaji area and said that the singer has decided to accept the government’s invitation. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also talked to the singer over phone the same day.
Mr. Ali was scheduled to perform at the Siri Fort auditorium on November 8. The Shiv Sena, which had earlier threatened to disrupt his show in Mumbai, had said that it would also not let the performance happen in Delhi either.
The singer was also expected to perform in another concert in Delhi in December also but that too now looks doubtful.
“We are not sure about the December concert too. He has many fans in India but he will visit when the atmosphere is right. While some politicians have extended invites there are others who want to create problem,” Mr. Aamir said.
“It’s not fair toblame govt.”Meanwhile, Union Minister Najma Heptulla maintained the government was “never opposed” to Mr. Ali’s concerts and insisted that it can’t be blamed for “everything.”
“Some people objected to it in Mumbai, they did so individually. The government gave him visa, he came here. Why blame the government for it? Blame those who are responsible for it,” she said
(With inputs from PTI)
