New Delhi: A fresh political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal over the cancellation of a concert by singer Arijit Singh at the Eco Park in Kolkata scheduled early next year. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the February 18 concert was cancelled as Arijit Singh had recently sung 'rang de tu mohe gerua', which has the word 'saffron', in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival earlier this month. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), however, rubbished the charge and claimed that the show was cancelled because of a G20 meeting. The party also said that Arijit's show will be held on the same date and a hunt for an alternate location is on.
"Music has no boundaries when it comes to Pakistani Ghulam Ali but the case is different for Hindustani Arijit Singh," Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said in a tweet.
Music has no boundaries when it comes to Pakistani Ghulam Ali but the case is different for Hindustani Arijit Singh.#Rang_De_Tu_Mohe_Gerua pic.twitter.com/j6pqg1fDfv
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) December 29, 2022
Banerjee, notably, had in 2016 invited Ghulam Ali for a concert in the eastern metropolis after his show was cancelled in Mumbai due to threats from Shiv Sena.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also echoed similar sentiments.
"GREEN CARPET to Pakistani artists but cancel Hindustani ones!" he tweeted.
Where is hypocritical Award Wapsi, FoS Brigade? Arijit Singh, who sang “Rang de tu mohd gerua” in front of Mamata Di has his show at Eco Park cancelled by HIDCO (Govt body) for a flimsy reason!
GREEN CARPET to Pakistani artists but cancel Hindustani ones!
FoS Lobby is silent pic.twitter.com/wjXYcKQW6J
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) December 29, 2022
Rubbishing the BJP's allegation, state minister Firhad Hakim said that Arijit Singh's concert had to be cancelled as there will be a large number of national and international guests at a G20 meeting at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre near Eco Park around the same time.
"Arijit Singh's concert had to be cancelled as there will be a large number of national and international guests at a G20 meeting at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre near Eco Park around the same time. Police cited security issues and we went by their recommendation," Hakim said.
Salman Khan's show scheduled at Eco Park in January end was also cancelled but there was no hullabaloo over it, the TMC leader added.
#BJP claims #ArijitSingh’s show permission denied by #WestBengal govt as he sang ‘Rang de tu mohe gerua’ in front of CM #MamataBanerjee.HIDCO chairman Firhad Hakim says,“Neither Salman Khan nor Arijit’s show can be held at EcoPark due to G20 events. Organisers have no permission” pic.twitter.com/LedDcyTEcv
— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) December 28, 2022
TMC state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that several alternate locations including Acquatica theme park are being scoured for Singh's concert.
He also said that Arijit had sung at the KIFF inauguration on December 15 and money deposited for his Eco Park concert was returned on December 8.
"An amount of Rs 3 lakh deposited for a programme of Salman Khan was also returned. Then how did the question of saffron come?" he said.
