Global Citizen, organisers of British rock band Coldplay’s upcoming concert, have expressed displeasure over the band’s planned concert in the city being “caught in the middle of politics as usual” despite it being involved in “doing well for mankind”. Congress city president Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday complained to the state election commissioner that as the concert is being organised in partnership with the state government, it should be postponed because the local body elections’ code of conduct has “already commenced”.
While the code of conduct has been imposed across Maharashtra due to upcoming elections for 212 local bodies, the restrictions are not applicable in Mumbai and Thane, where the civic elections are scheduled for early next year.
Opposition parties and activists have also opposed the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis-headed Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)’s decision to waive off 75 per cent rent amount for using the venue for concert at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Also, the state cabinet committee’s decision to give concession in the entertainment tax is also being challenged by the activists.
In a statement issued on Friday, the organisers of the event said, “As one of the fastest growing youth movements in India, Global Citizen is delighted to see such overwhelming support for our campaigns focused on gender equality, clean water and sanitation and quality education. We are a non-partisan movement and it is disappointing to see our efforts to create long-term change and work towards eradicating extreme poverty being caught in the middle of politics as usual.”
The concert is going to be held at MMRDA grounds in BKC, and will also feature performances by Bollywood celebrities including Aamir Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Kareena Kapoor and many others.
While it is said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the concert, opposition parties have also claimed the event could influence voters in the upcoming civic polls in February 2017. However, the BJP has rubbished the opposition’s claims and termed it foolish to think that a music concert can influence voters.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also hit out at the state government criticising that the state has given concessions for the concert when farmers are committing suicide and people are in need of employment.
