Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali, whose concert in Mumbai was called off after resistance from the Shiv Sena, has cancelled all his scheduled performances in India, saying he won't return to India until "things settle down".
Ghulam Ali also expressed disappointment over the recent incidents, asserting that Indian fans have always welcomed him and his music with open arms.
"I have cancelled all my future concerts in India. I will never come back to India. I will not perform until things settle down. I'm hurt by the recent incidents in India. As of now, I have decided not to come to India. Indian fans have been very supportive. I'm a singer, I will talk about music, not politics," the singer told news channel CNN-IBN.
All his scheduled concerts, including the one in Delhi on 8 November, and another in Lucknow, have been scrapped.
According to a report in ibnlive.com, Ghulam Ali, who made an entry into Indian cinema with his popular song "Chupke Chupke Raat Din" in B R Chopra's "Nikaah", is "hurt by the politics being played" over his concerts in India and "how political parties are trying to score brownie points" by not letting him perform in India.
The singer was stopped from performing in Mumbai and Pune last month after the Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt his concerts. It led to a debate, with artistes from all sections demanding that art be kept out of politics.
He had then said he was sad, but his admiration for India remained undiminished.
