Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali’s Mumbai, Pune concert canceled under threat from Shive Sena

Chandigarh: October 8:A day after the Shiv Sena succeeded in cacelling the legendary pakistani singer Ghukam ali,s Mumbai concert, the maestro’s Pune concert, scheduled to be held on October 10 at the city’s Ganesh Kala Krida Manch has also been officially called off.

While the Sena’s vociferous threats had succeeded in invalidating the Mumbai concert, the spectre of party’s disruptive tendencies was felt in Pune as well, said organisers, speaking on condition of anonymity.

According to Randhir Ranjan Roy, business head and founder of the Mumbai-based Panache Media, the decision to cancel the Pune concert was taken on Wednesday itself with the nixing of the Mumbai one that was to be held on Friday at Shanmukhananda Hall. At any rate, there was faint hope of the Pune concert taking off with the Sena's heating of the political barometer in Mumbai.

“Tickets for shows in both cities were sold-out,” said Mr. Roy, adding that everyone would be given a refund of the amount paid for tickets.

While the Mumbai concert tickets were priced between Rs. 499—Rs. 5,000 per ticket, those for the Pune concert ranged between Rs. 500 to Rs 2,500.

The Facebook page of the Ek Ehsaas concert had a post put-up on Thursday afternoon lamenting the cancellations. “We regret to announce the cancellation of the Ek Ehsaas Live concert by Ustad Ghulam Ali in Mumbai on 9th October and Pune 10th October due to some unavoidable circumstances. All online tickets will be refunded in 5 to 8 working days.”

While the Sena’s vociferous threats had succeeded in invalidating the Mumbai concert, the spectre of party’s disruptive tendencies was felt in Pune as well, said organisers, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The 75-year-old Pakistani singer was scheduled to perform in Mumbai and Pune as part of the fourth death anniversary tribute to late ‘Ghazal King’, Jagjit Singh.

Despite limp protestations and postures of lament on part of the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government, it failed to curb its saffron ally’s zeal in disrupting culture with Sena leader Aditya Thackeray on Thursday ominously remarking on the cancellation that “terror and culture cannot go together”.