Pull out songs and music videos of Pakistani artistes, says MNS after Pulwama attack
Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or the MNS asked music companies on Saturday to pull out songs of Pakistani artistes from their albums and videos, after over 40 soldiers were killed in the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama on February 14. Programmes, promotions and collaborations with Pakistani artistes should be banned, said the MNS.
T-Series has reportedly pulled down videos and stopped promotions of two songs by Pakistani artistes after the MNS' demand.
"T-Series has already removed Pakistani artistes' videos from their various channels from February 15 and has decided to ban them all in future. Other music companies are following them," Amey Khopkar, President of MNS Chitrapat Sena, told news agency IANS.
"We have verbally communicated to music companies like T-Series, Sony Music, Venus, Tips Music etc to stop working with Pakistani singers," said Mr Khopkar, adding that if they don't do it immediately "we will take action in our own style."
The music company reportedly removed its recently released songs by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam from YouTube. Videos promoting these songs on television and radio have also been stopped, say sources.
The Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees and members of the film and television industry held a solidarity march at the Film City gate today, to pay respect to the Pulwama soldiers.
The entire entertainment industry in Mumbai strongly condemned the terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed on a Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF convoy in Pulwama. Actor Shabana Azmi and poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar cancelled their visit to Karachi.
A number of Pakistan-based artistes like Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Ali Zafar and Farhan Saeed have big fan followings in India.
(With inputs from IANS & PTI)