Is Arijit Singh's song 'Gerua' to blame for his cancelled Kolkata concert?
The political battle between the BJP and the TMC over Arijit Singh's concert is far from over. According to Amit Malviya of the BJP, the concert was cancelled because the singer sang some lines from 'Gerua' in front of Mamata Banerjee.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have launched an all-out political war (BJP). Arijit Singh's concert in Kolkata has been cancelled this time. The Tum Hi Ho singer was supposed to perform in the city's Eco Park on February 18, but the organisers were later denied permission by a government body. While the Bengal government has stated that the concert was cancelled due to a G-20 event taking place in the same area, the BJP has not shied away from claiming another reason for Arijit Singh's cancellation.
Amit Malviya of the BJP claims that Mamata Banerjee's government has denied permission for Arijit Singh's concert because the singer performed a few lines of the song 'Rang de tu mohe gerua' in front of the West Bengal Chief Minister at the Kolkata International Film Festival. Mamata Banerjee was irritated by the song, according to Malviya, because it contained the word "gerua," which means saffron. According to the politician, Banerjee disliked the term because it implies the hue of the BJP's Hindutva ideology.
Amit Malviya tweeted about Amitabh Bachchan's statement on freedom of expression at the KIFF, saying, "Sr Bachchan was on dot when he spoke about shrinking space for civil liberties and freedom of expression at the Kolkata Film Festival. Arijit Singh who sang "Rang de tu mohe gerua", with Mamata Banerjee on the dais now finds his show at EcoPark cancelled by HIDCO, a WB Govt body".
View Amit Malviya’s tweet here:
#ArijitSingh will Perform in Kolkata. Not in Eco Park but Aquatica. His EcoPark booking of ₹5 lakh was refunded on 8/12/22 & further on 9/12/22 booked Aquatica. He sang “Gerua” on 15/12/22.
— 𝐑𝐢𝐣𝐮 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐚 (@DrRijuDutta_TMC) December 29, 2022
Irrelevant, Incompetent & nicompoops of BJP has again committed a “Self Goal” again 🤣🤣
TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta hit out at Malviya and said that Arijit Singh is slated to perform in Kolkata on 18 February, but at a different venue.
Singh has yet to respond to the controversy.
What was the 'Gerua' saga all about?
Arijit Singh, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Jaya Bachchan were among the honorees at the inauguration of this year's edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival on December 15. Arijit Singh performed several songs at the event, including Gerua. The song is from Shah Rukh Khan's 2015 film Dilwale. Malviya went on to say that the singer "reminded Mamata Banerjee, in her backyard, that the future of Bengal is saffron..." after videos of the event went viral on social media.
Singh has yet to respond to the controversy.
