PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) on Thursday protested against Haryanvi singer Masoom Sharma’s programme at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. The party also burnt effigies of the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand and the State government. The UKD demanded that local artists should be given priority at major events in the State.
The UKD Mahanagar president Prabeen Chand Ramola said that the protest was linked to a controversy during Sharma’s earlier programme at DAV PG College in Dehradun. He said Sharma had used objectionable language from the stage during the event.
“Inviting the singer again for a major public programme in Uttarakhand is unfortunate. My party is not against artists from outside the State. However, we question why local artists are not being given similar platforms. Our State has many talented folk artists and singers. They should also get opportunities at major events,” Ramola averred.
Echoing the view, UKD central general secretary Rajendra Bisht said that Uttarakhand has a rich folk culture and many local artists. He said the government and event organisers should provide them proper opportunities at large cultural and entertainment programmes.
