New Delhi: Delhi Police have refused permission for Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh's concert scheduled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on October 30.
Officials cited security concerns and the ongoing festive season as reasons for withholding clearance for the event, which was expected to draw massive crowds.
The concert was meant to kick off the Indian leg of Dosanjh's Aura World Tour, after shows across North America, Europe and Australia.
The India tour is slated to cover six other cities, including Indore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Chandigarh. It was not clear whether the denial in Delhi affects the shows in the other cities.
Neither the singer nor the organisers have publicly responded to the decision so far. No new date for the Delhi show has been announced.
Police did not give a detailed account of whether any reasons other than security played a part in the denial. Large music events require several permissions from local authorities. Diljit Dosanjh is a leading voice in Punjabi music and his world tour is drawing huge crowds. Big music events need several clearances from local authorities, covering security, fire safety and crowd control. It was not clear whether the Delhi decision affects the shows planned in the other cities. Dosanjh's tour has been prepared on a large scale, and tickets for some cities sold out quickly. Before clearing music events, police and local authorities review crowd management plans. It was not clear whether the organisers have reapplied for the Delhi show. Similar denials on security grounds have occurred for big events in the past.