The District Child Protection Officer (CPO) has flagged four songs by singer Diljit Dosanjh for his November 15 concert in Indore. Those songs will not be allowed to be performed, not even with modified lyrics.
The CPO cited a July 2019 Punjab and Haryana high court order which called for preventing songs glorifying liquor, drugs and violence from being played at live shows. In a letter dated November 6, CPO Rajnish Sinha asked the management of C-21 Mall, the venue of the concert, not to allow Diljit to sing Patiala peg, 5 taara theeke, Jeb vicho feem labhi aa and Jatt uthe fire karda jithe pabandi hathiyara di.
The directions follow a complaint by Chandigarh-based professor Panditrao Dharenavar, who has also sought restrictions on Dosanjh singing four-five songs, inviting children on stage and wearing crossed bullet belts or dummy metallic cartridges during the performance. The complaint also mentions concerns over children being exposed to high sound levels and flashing lights. The concert, which permits entry to children aged five and above, has been surrounded by security concerns after three private schools and mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav’s office received bomb threat emails warning of an IED explosion during the event.
Diljit Dosanjh’s concerts have faced security-related concerns in other cities as well.