Defer Coldplay event: Congress

Congress’ Mumbai president Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday demanded that the “BJP-promoted” Coldplay concert be postponed as the local body elections’ code of conduct had commenced from November. The Congress leader met the state election commissioner J.S. Saharia on Thursday with the demand.

“The Global India Citizens has organised the Coldplay concert in partnership with the (BJP-ruled) state government. The invitation for the event has been given out by the chief minister’s office. The programme has also received 75 per cent of concession in rent. The event should be postponed considering the code of conduct commenced from this month for local bodies polls across the state. Also, none of the politicians should be encouraged to speak in the programme,” Mr Nirupam said in a letter given to the election commissioner. He was referring to the 252 local bodies polls that will begin this month and end in February next year for which a code of conduct has been imposed on different parts of the state.

He also objected to the concession given for the event.

“Waiving off the entertainment tax for the event is wrong. Public fund is being misused and such waiver should not be allowed in the absence of a proper policy,” he said in the letter. Mr Nirupam also recalled how the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the past had given tax waiver to a concert by Michael Jackson. “The high court had lambasted the government then,” he said.

Following much deliberation, the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis-headed Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has given 75 per cent concession on rent for the venue at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), where Global Citizen will organise the Coldplay concert on November 19. The organisers have to pay only Rs 2 crore as rent instead of the `8 crore for conducting the event on 150-lakh square metre MMRDA ground. The ground has been booked for three days. The stage will be set up on November 18 and dismantled on November 20, said a MMRDA official.

Tickets for the Coldplay concert range from Rs 25, 000 to Rs 5 lakh.

The exorbitant price range, incidentally, resulted in people taking a dig at the organisers and kicking up a social media storm. However, anyone organising an event for social awareness, gets 70 per cent discount depending on the ticket prices.

Niranjan Shetty, Chief Spokesperson, BJP Mumbai said, “The Congress has no important issue to raise hence such futile attempts are being made by them. It's foolish to think that a music concert can influence voters.”

The organisers of the concert did not comment on the issue.