Talking to dna, Mishra said the Delhi government will be hosting Ali 'very soon'. "We are in touch with him and he has responded positively to us. He will be in Delhi very soon for a performance. People of Delhi want to hear him," Mishra said.
A day after the Shiv Sena forced cancellation of ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert in Mumbai and earlier in Pune, the Arvind Kejriwal government on Thursday extended invitation to the Pakistani singer to perform in the national capital.
Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra said the Pakistani Singer is welcome to hold a performance in Delhi.
"Sad that #GhulamAli is not being allowed in Mumbai, I invite him to come to Delhi and do the concert. Music has no boundaries," he wrote on Twitter.
Talking to dna, Mishra said the Delhi government will be hosting Ali 'very soon'. "We are in touch with him and he has responded positively to us. He will be in Delhi very soon for a performance. People of Delhi want to hear him," Mishra said.
He added, "It is not only about Ghulam Ali sahab. It's against banning the ban. You can't do this in a free, democratic country."
"He has anyway been singing across India. The issue was unnecessarily politicised by the Shiv Sena and the BJP," he said.
The ghazal singer got another invitation from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who, echoing the Delhi government tweeted, "Music has no boundaries. Music is the rhythm of the heart. Ghulam Ali Ji concert can be held in Kolkata. We will make all arrangements."
Ali's concert in Mumbai, organised on the occasion of late ghazal singer Jagjit Singh's fourth death anniversary, was called off after the Shiv Sena in Mumbai threatening to disrupt it. The Sena has a notorious reputation of opposing against any cultural association with Pakistan, examples being protests against the Pakistani cricket team and singer Atif Aslam's show in its stronghold Mumbai.
While the BJP, the Sena's alliance partner in Maharashtra, had condemned the Sena's move, the Sena also defended its actions with Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray reportedly saying that people can't sit and enjoy music while soldiers are being martyred in Kashmir.
Sena MP Rahul Shewale said that the Sena will continue to oppose hosting any Pakistani talent in the country till Pakistan continues to foster terrorism. "We don't have anything against Ghulam Ali, but till they (Pakistan) continue ceasefire violations and killing our soldiers at the border, we will never allow any Pakistani talents on Indian soil,"Shewale said, adding that the party may think of softening its stance only when such violations stop.
Experts feel that the ploy was deployed by Sena was to get brownie points from its loyals as it is preparing the ground for the upcoming civic elections in Mumbai in early 2017.
"The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has been the Sena's stronghold for decades, but this time, it will be tough, if the Sena and the BJP decide to go solo. Through such actions, the Sena wants to ensure it remains in the limelight and in the good books of its supporters,"a political observer from Mumbai said.
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 "Ghulam Ali will perform 'very soon' in Delhi : Delhi culture minister")
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