Gurugram musical show attracts protest

Over 500 members of different Hindu organisations held protests at the Leisure Valley Park where a private company had organised a musical show on Saturday. The protesters claimed it was wrong for the company to organise a musical show for enjoyment and raising funds when the entire country was mourning the death of 49 CRPF troopers, killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday.

Protesters threatened to disrupt the event if the organisers did not cancel the programme. "We have written to the Police Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram to initiate the process of cancelling the event. Musical shows are meant for celebration, not when there is sadness across the country. This is not acceptable," said Pramod Goyal, the convener the of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch.

"We have objections over celebration, not against any private company. The time they have chosen for organising the event is wrong. Even if preparations for the event began before Thursday's terror attack, the organisers should have postponed it and stood with the country to show solidarity," said Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, senior Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, who led the protest along with members of Bajrang Dal, Hindu Kranti Dal, Hindu Jagran Manch, Hindu Sena and Shiv Sena. Subhash Bokan, PRO of Gurugram Police, said: "We are aware of the protest and have deployed extra security personnel at the venue to maintain law and order and prevent loss of property. We are waiting for organisers to take a decision."