BJP leader sponsors Christmas concert attended by Christians, Muslims and Hindus
Nearly 4,000 people came to the Christmas festival to hear carols like ‘Holy Night’ and some original compositions like ‘It’s Christmas Day today’ written and performed by Bashir Sheikh, a Muslim singer.
The event ended in a sour note when police moved to stop the concert because of the noise.
For organisers, the police was unfair, but they complied with the injunction to avoid politicising the event.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Ashish Shelar said that the Christmas festival was an initiative designed to focus on ‘expression through culture”.
For him, India’s secular values are enshrined in the constitution. “As a lawyer, I have defended the rights of the Christian community and it is admirable that it has never demanded anything illegal, and is known for dialogue, tolerance and peace.”