Ahead Of Ghulam Ali Show In Kolkata, Governor Tathagata Roy's Controversial Tweets

Kolkata: Legendary Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali performed in Kolkata this evening for a select audience that included Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This is the 75-year-old's first show in India since the Shiv Sena protests forced the cancellation of his events in Maharashtra in October.

Hours ahead of the show, Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy posted provocative tweets.
  

Before he took over as governor, Mr Roy was chief of the BJP in Bengal. He has faced criticism for his controversial posts in the past.

Earlier, Trinamool lawmaker Derek O'Brien had confronted sharp reactions to his tweet announcing the show days after the January 2 Pathankot terror attack in which seven military personnel were martyred.

Tickets were not sold for the show held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, which was strictly by invitation only. Sources say the ruling Trinamool Congress was cautious because this was the ghazal singer's first show since the controversy last year.

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After his events in Mumbai and Pune were cancelled, Mr Ali had said he would "never to return to India." Mamata Banerjee had offered Kolkata as a venue and so had her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal. After performing in Kolkata, Mr Ali will travel to Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Delhi.