Noted Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali will perform at a concert in Lucknow on Sunday. The Shiv Sena, however, has threatened to disrupt it.
The artist’s performance will mark the concluding day of the Lucknow Mahotsav, an annual celebration of art and culture of the Awadh region, organised by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The singer landed in Lucknow on Saturday afternoon and was welcomed by Principal Secretary Navneet Sehgal even as Sena members staged a protest. Police are keeping a close eye on the Sena, which has publicly threatened to disrupt the performance, and placed the party’s State chief Anil Singh under house arrest. “This is a blatant case of Muslim appeasement by the Samajwadi Party. What is the need to call a Pakistani singer? There is no shortage of Muslim singers in our country. We will not tolerate a red carpet welcome for Ghulam Ali at a time when our soldiers are dying on the border and attacks like Pathankot happen,” Mr. Singh told The Hindu .
The Sena leader said the party would make all efforts to disturb the Pakistani singer’s programme and stage protests across the State. “We will try and stop the performance in our own style,” Mr. Singh said. The Sena has maintained opposition to the performance of Pakistani artists in India and in October 2015 forced the cancellation of Mr. Ali’s programmes in Mumbai and Pune. A few days later, Mr. Ali was invited to perform in Lucknow by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who felicitated him at his residence.
