Hyderabad: Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh, responding to a notice issued by the Telangana government, has challenged state authorities to declare their regions dry states if they want him to stop singing songs about alcohol. Speaking at a concert in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Dosanjh offered to stop singing such songs if all states in India declared themselves dry and also called for a ban on liquor contracts.
The Telangana government had issued a directive to Dosanjh, requesting him not to perform songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence during his "Dil-Luminati" concert in Hyderabad. The notice, served by the District Welfare Officer of Rangareddy district on November 7, followed a complaint from Chandigarh-based professor Panditrao Dharenavar, who alleged that Dosanjh’s performances in Delhi had included songs promoting substance abuse and violence. Video evidence was submitted to support the claim.
At his Hyderabad show, Dosanjh complied with the notice by modifying the lyrics of his popular songs "Lemonade" and "5 Taara" to avoid references to alcohol. Despite adhering to the instructions, the singer expressed frustration over the state's actions, arguing that foreign artists are not subjected to such restrictions. He stated that artists from other countries are allowed to perform freely, while local performers face unnecessary challenges. Dosanjh described this as unfair and affirmed his resilience, saying he would not let the issue go unnoticed.
During the Ahmedabad concert, Dosanjh reiterated his stance on alcohol and distanced himself from promoting its consumption. He highlighted the prevalence of Bollywood songs centered around liquor and noted that he has sung only a few such tracks, adding that he does not advertise alcohol or consume it himself.
He further proposed a movement to make Amritsar, his hometown and a holy city, a dry city. Calling for a broader effort to reduce alcohol availability, Dosanjh urged the government to halt liquor contracts as part of this initiative. He expressed a willingness to stop singing songs on liquor entirely if such measures were implemented across states.
With IANS inputs