Popular Indian singer Diljit Dosanjh is in legal trouble after his New Year’s Eve concert in Ludhiana, Punjab, where he performed songs that allegedly promote alcohol.
The performance, part of his ongoing 'Dil-Luminati' tour, has drawn a legal complaint for including tracks like ‘Patiala Peg’, ‘5 Taara Theke’, and ‘Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya)’, which critics argue glorify alcohol consumption.
The complaint, filed by Chandigarh-based assistant professor Punditrao Dharenavar, led to the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department issuing an official notice to the District Commissioner of Ludhiana.
The notice requested that Dosanjh be prevented from performing these songs during his live concerts.
Punditrao Dharenavar, in his complaint, expressed concerns over the potential harm these songs could cause to young audiences, particularly underage children, who were present at the concert.
He referenced a 2019 ruling from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which banned songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence at public events, including live concerts, due to their detrimental effects on impressionable youth.
"The performance of such songs sends the wrong message, especially when children are in the audience," Punditrao Dharenavar said. He also criticised Dosanjh for wearing a ‘pagadi’ (turban) during the concert while performing these controversial songs, arguing that the revered symbol should not be associated with promoting harmful values.
In response to previous concerns raised by the Telangana government ahead of his concert in Hyderabad, Dosanjh had altered the lyrics of some of his songs. However, despite these advisories, the singer proceeded with performing these tracks, albeit with minor lyric modifications, leading to further legal scrutiny.
This concert in Ludhiana, held at the Punjab Agricultural University, marked the final stop of the Indian leg of Dosanjh's 'Dil-Luminati' tour. The tour was initially set to end in Guwahati on December 29 but added Ludhiana as a last-minute stop.
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