Political row over Arjit's Kolkata show: Adhikari refers to Mamata's 2015 Ghulam Ali tweet

Kolkata, Dec 30

As a political slugfest has erupted over the cancellation of a concert by popular playback singer Arijit Singh at the Eco Park in Kolkata scheduled for early next year, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari has referred to a Twitter message by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in October 2015 over cancellation of a concert by Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali in Mumbai following threats from Shiv Sena.

After the show of Ghulam Ali was cancelled, Banerjee, in a Twitter message on October 8, 2015, invited the legendary Pakistani singer to conduct a concert in Kolkata.

"Music has no boundaries. Music is the rhythm of heart. Ghulam Ali Ji concert can be held in Kolkata. We will make all arrangements," she posted.

Referring to that Twitter message, Adhikari on Thursday issued a fresh Twitter message questioning the Chief Minister for not showing the same open-mindedness about Arijit Singh. "Music has no boundaries when it comes to Pakistani Ghulam Ali but the case is different for Hindustani Arijit Singh," he said.

The BJP has alleged that the singer has paid the price for singing the popular song "Rang De Tu Mohe Gerua" in the presence Banerjee at the recent inauguration of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), which was attended, among others, by top Bollywood stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Rani Mukherjee.

BJP's IT cell chief and the party's observer for West Bengal Amit Malviya and the state president of BJP's youth wing in West Bengal Indranil Khan took to Twitter targeting the state government and ruling Trinamool Congress on this count.

However, state Urban Development Affairs minister and Kolkata Mayor, Firhad Hakim dismissed such allegations and claimed that all programmes at ECO Park during that time had been cancelled keeping in mind the G20 seminar.