Known for its hardline stand, Sena on Wednesday said that India can not afford to have cultural ties with Pakistan.
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According to reports in the Indian media, Shiv Sena said they would protest if the concert was not cancelled, adding that they were against any form of cultural association with Pakistan. “Law will take its own course”, said Ranjeet Patil, Minister of State Home (Urban).
“The organisers or the management of the Shanmukhananda Hall have not lodged any formal complaint as yet”. Once they do, action will be taken. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi of the BJP told NDTV: “What the Sena is doing with Ghulam Ali is absolutely wrong”.
“Officials said Ghulam Ali’s participation in the events in Mumbai and Pune could raise security concerns and it was the duty of the government to ensure the safety of the internationally-acclaimed artiste”. Such messengers of peace should not face restrictions of boundaries.
Indian extremist political group Shiv Sena has threatened the Pakistani singer Gulam Ali Khan asking him to go back to Pakistan to present his singing. The unit had also protested against the test series between the two nations as well as prohibiting the Pakistan cricket team to play on Indian soil.
Bardapurkar further said, “Today, we are requesting them to cancel the program, otherwise we will be forced to protest in our style”.
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But later that month, pop artist Atif Aslam had to cancel his concert in Pune after having received threats Shiv Sena at a time when more than a thousand tickets for his concert had been sold which the organisers had to refund.
