Ghulam Ali shows in Mumbai and Pune cancelled after Shiv Sena threat

Pakistans renowned ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali will not perform in Maharashtra this week as his shows were cancelled after a meeting between the organisers and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray a party leader said on WednesdayThe programmes would be held as per schedule but Ghulam Ali will not participate in it This decision was taken at a meeting between the event organisers and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray here this evening Wednesday the Shiv Senas film wing Chitrapat Sena general secretary Akshay Bardapurkar saidThe decision was taken despite a snub to Sena byMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who said adequateprotection would be provided to Ali and that the concertorganised in memory of late ghazal singer Jagjit Singh wouldbe held according to scheduleThe Shiv Sena earlier on Wednesday threatened to disrupt Ghulam Alis proposed live concerts in Mumbai and Pune this weekChitrapat Sena president Aadesh Bandekar said We have met and asked the authorities at Shanmukhananda Hall in Matunga to cancel the show proposed to be held on October 9 failing which we shall protest in our own styleThe Shiv Senas Chitrapat Sena leader Akshay Badrapurkar in middle white handing over the letter to Senior manager of ShanmukhanandThe party has threatened that if the programme scheduled for October 9 isnt withdrawn then Sena will protest in its style The Sena has been protesting against Pakistan and any form of cultural ties with PakistanWe are against any form of cultural association with Pakistan We cannot have ties with a country that kills our soldiers They are against us why should we let their singers perform here said BadrapurkarHe further added Today we are requesting them to cancel the programme if the dont then we will be forced to protest in our styleEarlier the Sena had protested against Atif Aslams concert and also the Pakistan cricket team playing on Indian soilLeo Francis senior manager Shanmukhanand said We called the organiser and informed him the situation We have asked him to give us an undertaking that there is no risk with the show Unless the undertaking is given we do not want to take any riskShanmukhanand Hall at Matunga is the same place where Shiv Sena holds majority of its functionGhulam Alis programme has been cancelled Neither GhulamAli nor any Pakistani artiste will be performing at theOctober 9 event organiser Randhir Roy told reporters outsidethe MatoshreeReacting to the development Ali said the concert was notcancelled from his end Atmosphere is not conducive for me toperform he said adding he wants IndoPak ties to improveHe further said that whenever his fans call him with lovehe goes and performsSuch controversies spoil peoples sur note I am notangry I am hurt In love such things dont happenDescribing Jagjit Singh as his good brother Ali saidwherever they met and performed we were oneOfficials said Ghulam Alis 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 internationallyacclaimed artisteBandekar said the party would also protest and stop a similar concert scheduled in Pune on October 10 as part of the fourth death anniversary tribute to late singer Jagjit SinghInterestingly both the concerts have reported a neartotal sellout and have been the topic of discussion on social media since the past few daysHe warned of protests not only in Mumbai and Pune but wherever the 75yearold Ghulam Ali performs in IndiaInputs from news agencies