Two days after Pakistan’s renowned ghazal singer Ghulam Ali’s concert in Mumbai was cancelled due to threats from Shiv Sena, the Maharashtra unit of Congress has planned to invite him to the city.
Ashok Chavan, President of Congress’ State unit, told The Hindu that he will be personally writing an invite to Mr. Ali to come to Mumbai and present a concert.
“We felt that the city missed to witness the performance of a great artist due to politics. Arts and culture should be held above political games,” he said.
Sena’s threatMr. Ali’s concert on Friday was cancelled after threats from the Sena which claimed that Pakistani artists should not be performing in India at a time when army men are dying on border due to continuous firing from the other side.
Despite assurance of providing security from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — who is also handling the Home Ministry — the organisers chose to cancel the show. Following the cancellation, Aam Adami Party government in Delhi and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal have invited Mr. Ali for a concert in their respective States.
The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Mumbai, too has written to Mr. Fadnavis requesting adequate security to Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, who will be in the city for a book launch.
Mr. Kasuri will be attending the launch of his book ‘ Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy ’ in Mumbai on Monday.
