Diljit Dosanjh Didn’t Sing Songs On Alcohol In Gujarat; Here’s Why

New Delhi: Amid calls for not promoting alcohol in his songs, singer Diljit Dosanjh challenged authorities across the country to ban liquor. Performing in Ahmedabad last evening, he also declared he would not sing songs on alcohol since Gujarat is a dry state.

Dosanjh made the remark after the Telangana government directed him not to promote alcohol, drugs, and violence in his songs ahead of his Hyderabad concert. The singer, who is on a Dil-Luminati India Tour, then tweaked his songs ‘Lemonade’ and ‘5 Taara’, but called out double standards by the authorities.

“There’s good news. I did not get any notice today,” he told the crowd in Ahmedabad last evening in an apparent swipe at Telangana government. “Even today I won’t sing any song about alcohol. It’s because Gujarat is a dry state,” he said.

After mixed reactions from the crowd on whether liquor is banned in Gujarat, he said he would be a fan of the Gujarat government if it had indeed imposed prohibition on liquor.

Then came his challenge to other states: “You close liquor shops across the country, I will stop singing songs on alcohol.” During the pandemic, everything was shut but the liquor stores were spared, he pointed out, adding, “You can’t fool the youth.”

He said he can’t be intimidated by such notices and that it’s very easy for musicians to tweak song lyrics.

“Tweaking songs is very easy. I am not a new artiste and I will feel helpless when asked not to sing a song. I will tweak the songs and people will still enjoy it,” he added.

While interacting with the crowd, the singer went to the extent of calling for a movement to ban liquor.

“Let’s start a movement. If all states declare themselves as dry state, from the next day, Diljit Dosanjh will stop singing songs about alcohol in live concerts. There’s another offer. Declare dry day in whichever place I perform, I won’t sing songs about alcohol,” said the singer.

Dosanjh said he had sung dozens of devotional songs, but people are only talking about ‘Patiala Peg’.

He also pointed to Bollywood having thousands of songs on alcohol and advertising those brands. “Bollywood has thousands of songs. I have only a few. Even today I won’t sing those. It’s very easy for me to tweak the song. Even I don’t drink alcohol. Bollywood stars advert alcohol, Diljit Dosanjh doesn’t,” he said.

In Hyderabad, where he was asked not to sing songs about alcohol, the singer had alleged double standards by the authorities when it comes to Indian singers, according to NDTV.

“If an artist comes from outside, they can sing anything, do anything, there are no worries. But when an Indian artist sings, then you have a problem; you have to interfere. But let me tell you, there is God. I won’t let this go,” he had said.