Cancel Coldplay concert in Mumbai, Congress asks EC

BJP- led state government is trying to get political mileage from the concert. The government is an active participant and has invested in the event, claims Sanjay Nirupam. Concert to be attended by celebrities from Bollywood and other popular names in India.  

As one of the most popular and successful British band, Coldplay, is about to take Mumbai city by storm on November 19, Congress has decided to be the party pooper of this highly anticipated event of the year. The opposition party in Maharashtra, Congress along with NCP wants the concert which is a part of Global Citizen Festival to be postponed sighting poll code of conduct ahead of the municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats polls in the state.

The party has that the BJP-led state government is trying to get political mileage in the polls by using this Coldplay concert. This concert will also feature rapper Jay Z and will be hosted and attended by Bollywood celebrities including A.R. Rahman, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor-Khan, Katrina Kaif, Farhan Akhtar, Sachin Tendulkar, Malaika Arora-Khan, Ranveer Singh, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and many more. 

The Mumbai Congress led by chief Sanjay Nirupam has approached the Election Commission and has demanded that the restrictions under the election code of conduct must be imposed on this concert. The party has demanded that the Coldplay concert either should be postponed or political leaders must be barred from using the platform for making any speeches. 

Nirupam has contended that state government is the strategic partner of this event that will also be attended by PM Narendra Modi. 

On his memorandum, he stated "The government is an active participant and has invested in the event. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has issued invitations for the event and the Global Citizen India website also mentions Maharashtra government as a strategic partner," 

Nirupam further alleged that the state CM Fadnavis, who is the head of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), has granted 75 per cent concession to use the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) to host the concert without any policy decision.

The state Congress leader added "Entertainment tax has also been waived," 

According to him, the government is investing in the event to "influence voters" and that "The government is likely to use the event as a political platform ahead of the elections,"

Nirupam also recalled 1990s Michael Jackson's Mumbai concert organised by the then Sena-BJP government and alleged how the ruling government 'wasted taxpayers' money in a similar manner. 

Supporting the Congress leader's claimed NCP spokesman Nawab Malik stated, "Concessions being given by MMRDA for the event should be withdrawn since it (granting the concessions) was not a policy decision," 

Meanwhile, people waiting for this concert has turned to Twitter to express their anger: