Despite strong opposition from Pune Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil and protests from Kothrud residents, the concert of Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh was held as scheduled on Sunday at Suryakant Kakade Farms in Kothrud without any hindrance.

Patil had instructed the Pune Police Commissioner, Excise Department, and District Collector to cancel the concert, and he also announced that his party would organise a protest march if the event proceeded. It remains to be seen whether he will follow through with the protest.

'Area will become the new Kalyani Nagar...'

Now, after the concert was held despite the protests, residents of Kothrud are concerned that their area will become the new Kalyani Nagar. The residents demanded that organisers cancel upcoming programs and concerts in their area, as they believe these events will bring issues like the open sale of liquor, loud noise, and traffic jams. The residents claim that they are opposed to those who spoil the culture of Kothrud.

Satish Mulay, a resident of Kothrud, said, "We don't want our area to become the new Kalyani Nagar. Nothing is in our hands; the politicians do what they feel is right. They don't think about the residents, and now that BJP is ruling the entire nation, what can we say? They do what they like."

Amol Shinde, another resident of Kothrud, said, "We have been following up with the authorities for the past few weeks to cancel the concert, and the excise department banned liquor at the event. Even now, in December, there will be a lot of parties, and singer Sunidhi Chauhan's concert is planned in Kothrud. We are opposing this because our area is a residential area, and there is a forest here. These loud noises and traffic congestion will not only impact the lives of residents but also the animals living in the forest."

Shirish Murne, another resident, said, "We have Sahyadri Hospital here, and patients are admitted there. Because of the loud music, they were troubled. Yesterday’s event got over by 10:30pm, but there was a massive traffic jam for almost two hours. It took us more than an hour to move just 1 km. These kinds of concerts are troublesome. What happens if an ambulance gets stuck in such traffic? Who will take responsibility? We have senior citizens residing in our area, and this loud music causes a lot of inconvenience. We don’t want this area to become a victim of pub culture."

Alka Sawaikar pointed out, "There is a forest in our area, and it’s an eco-sensitive area. If loud music continues to persist, where will these animals go? We are constantly following up with the authorities. Yesterday, we staged a protest, and our message is clear. We want to protect the forest space and the animals living there. Such an event is a pest in society, and we want a peaceful Kothrud."

Liquor license cancelled

Meanwhile, in a last-minute move, the state excise department, on Sunday cancelled the permit for serving liquor at Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh's musical concert in the Kothrud area of Pune city.

While the liquor consumption license for the concert was canceled, the event itself went ahead as planned. Charan Singh Rajput from the State Excise Pune Department provided an explanation for the cancellation of the liquor license. Thus, residents are now questioning why the concert was allowed to take place despite Patil's clear instructions to cancel it.

Several politicians including Congress's Ravindra Dhangekar has slammed the administration over the concert in the area.