Legal action against Diljit for singing alcohol-related songs in Ludhiana
What's the story
Punjabi singer and actor, Diljit Dosanjh, is facing legal action after his New Year's Eve concert in Ludhiana, Punjab.
The controversy erupted after Punditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor from Chandigarh, filed a complaint against him for allegedly singing songs promoting alcohol consumption.
This prompted the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department of Punjab to issue a formal notice to Ludhiana's District Commissioner on December 31.
Song ban
Notice called for a ban on specific songs
The notice issued by the Deputy Director specifically called for a ban on certain songs accused of promoting alcohol. These included Patiala Pegg, 5 Tara Theke, and Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya).
The complaint referenced previous warnings given to Dosanjh by various commissions advising him against performing these controversial tracks.
Despite these advisories, Dosanjh has allegedly continued to perform them with slight alterations to the lyrics.
Youth impact
Concerns over impact of songs on young audiences
Dharenavar, who lodged the complaint, was vehemently concerned about the effect of such songs on the youth.
He referred to a 2019 ruling of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing police to ensure no songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence are played at public events.
Such songs glorifying substances like alcohol or drugs, according to this court ruling, have a negative effect on impressionable children.
Cultural criticism
Dharenavar criticized Dosanjh's attire during performances
Dharenavar also slammed Dosanjh for singing such songs while donning a pagadi, a traditional headgear. He feels this shouldn't be linked to the promotion of bad values.
The Ludhiana concert was added as a last-minute stop on Dosanjh's Dil-luminati India Tour and was the grand finale of his three-month-long nationwide performance schedule.
Despite continuous warnings issued by various states, tickets for the show got sold out within minutes of release on December 23.
Legal history
Dosanjh's previous run-ins with legal authorities
Notably, this isn't the first time Dosanjh has been under legal scanner for his choice of songs.
In November, he was served a legal notice by the Telangana government during a Hyderabad concert over a complaint about his singing alcohol and violence-promoting songs.
Earlier, he had made headlines for his remarks on alcohol in his songs during an Ahmedabad performance. He had said that he would stop making songs about alcohol if the Indian government imposed a nationwide liquor ban.