Opposition parties charge the Fadnavis govt with an attempt to derive political mileage out of the concert ahead of the crucial BMC polls. T N Raghunatha reports
The much-publicised British rock band Coldplay’s concert slated to be held in Mumbai on November 19 has assumed a political dimension, with the Opposition Congress and NCP taking serious exception to the BJP-led alliance government’s decision to waive entertainment tax for the show and give 75 per cent concession in rent for letting out the MMRDA ground for the event.
On Thursday, when both the main opposition parties equated the impending show to Michael Jackson’s concert held during the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government in the nineties, the Congress approached the State Election Commission (SEC) and made a strong case for the postponement of the November 19 concert to some other date after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls scheduled for February 2017. Among other things, the Opposition Congress charged that the ruling BJP was trying to derive political mileage out of the concert ahead of the crucial BMC polls.
The November 19 concert is part of the Global Citizen Festival India being organised to promote ending of poverty across the globe. The event will also feature performances from Jay Z, Aamir Khan, Farhan Akhtar and Shraddha Kapoor.
Mumbai MP Poonam Mahajan, daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and niece of late Gopinath Munde, is the brain behind bringing the British rock band to Mumbai.
In his representation to the SEC, Mumbai Pradesh Congress Committee president Sanjay Nirupam charged that the BJP-led government had not only become a “strategic partner” to the organisers of the Global Citizen Festival India, but Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had extended invitation to the launching ceremony of the festival through his department. Nirupam also took strong exception to the state government’s decision to waive entertainment tax to the concert and grant 75 per cent concession in rent for letting out the State-managed MMRDA ground to hold the event.
Slamming the Devendra Fadnavis government for its “political patronage” to the band, Maharashtra NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said: “The ruling BJP is doing what exactly the then ruling Shiv Sena did in 1996. BJP MP Poonam Mahajan has taken the initiative to bring the British rock band to Mumbai… In Maharashtra, farmers are committing suicides and there are issues like unemployment. How will the Coldplay concert help eradicate poverty or help solve the unemployment problemIJ”