Taking a dig at Telangana government for its direction to not sing songs promoting liquor, Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh has announced that if all states in the country declare themselves dry states, he would never sing songs on liquor.
He challenged the state governments to stop giving liquor contracts. He also suggested the state governments declare dry days at least on the day he is scheduled to perform in their state, saying that he would then not sing songs about liquor.
The singer said this during the concert in Ahmedabad on Sunday, two days after he performed in Hyderabad.
He also claimed that he does not consume alcohol. “There are thousands of Bollywood songs on liquor. I hardly sang a couple of songs on liquor. I don’t consume alcohol. Bollywood artists advertise liquor but I don’t do it,” he said.
The Telangana government had served a notice to Diljit Dosanjh, directing him to not sing any songs promoting alcohol, drugs, and violence during the ‘Dil-Luminati’ concert in Hyderabad.
Diljit was also directed to not let children on stage during his concert.
District welfare officer of the Department of Welfare of Women and Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens, Rangareddy district, served the notice on November 7.
The notice was issued after a complaint by a Chandigarh-based professor, Panditrao Dharenavar, against Dosanjh to prevent him from singing such songs at the live show.
The complainant submitted video evidence of Diljit singing songs promoting alcohol, drugs, and violence during the live show at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on October 26 and 27.
At the Hyderabad show, he modified lyrics to his chartbusters ‘Lemonade’ and ‘5 Taara’ to follow the direction of the Telangana government.
He, however, found fault with the authorities for not laying down any such preconditions for the artists who come from other countries.
“The artists who come from other countries are allowed to sing whatever they want and do whatever they want, but when an artist from your own country sings, you have a problem, you create trouble. But I’ll tell you something, God is with me, I won’t let this go,” he said.
He also remarked that many people are unable to digest why such big shows are happening and how the tickets are getting sold in two minutes. “Bro, I’ve been working for a long time now. I didn’t become famous in a day.”
At the Ahmedabad concert, Diljit again referred to the notice served by the Telangana government and advised the authorities to not mock him.
“We want Amritsar Sahib, which is a holy city, to be declared a dry city. Come with me let us start a movement. I will stop singing songs on liquor, you stop liquor contracts,” he added.