‘Boycott Zubeen’ campaign backfires

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Digital Desk
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A boycott campaign against singing megastar Zubeen Garg in the social media backfired with Bihu organizers in Lumding making it clear that the programme will be held as per its earlier schedule on May 19-20 and that the heartthrob singer will definitely be performing at the event.

Incidentally vested-interest groups and individuals were carrying out an online campaign, asking people to boycott Zubeen at the bihu function in Lumding following his stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The celebrity singer had been extremely vocal over the bill and had openly expressed his opposition to awarding of citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshi migrants.

“There’s something called a Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that the government wants to enact. My view is simple. We cannot accept any Bangladeshi national whatever faith they profess,” Zubeen had said.

The bihu organizers, meanwhile, said the programme will go on as per schedule and that Zubeen will perform at the event.

Various organizations and individuals, too, reacted angrily to the ‘boycott’ call and said insulting Zubeen with such a campaign is nothing but an insult to the entire Assamese community. Pro-talks ULFA leader Jiten Dutta, too, jumped into the row and warned vested-interest circles to desist from such nefarious campaigns.

Meanwhile, Zubeen Garg also reacted to the developments and said he will perform at the bihu function in Lumding and rejected the boycott call.

Incidentally, the singing megastar had posted a video on popular social-networking website ‘facebook’ along with a strongly-worded message where he termed the bill “a grave threat to the core of the Indian Constitution” and urged people to join hands and fight back.

ALSO READ: ZUBEEN GARG OPPOSES CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL, SAYS ASSAM CAN’T BEAR BURDEN OF MORE BANGLADESHIS

“I firmly stand against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 which is, in my view, a grave threat to the core of Indian Constitution. I urge all the people of Assam to come together and fight back against the bill. We the people of Assam can by no means accept any more infiltrators here in our native land. Say no to division of infiltrators and Bangladeshis in the name of religion. Say no to any sort of attempt which can challenge the demographic core of Assamese Nationhood,” he wrote, ending it with a video message claiming that people of Assam will rise up and defeat any move to embrace illegal Bangladeshi migrants irrespective of the faith they profess.

ALSO READ: ZUBEEN GARG ONCE AGAIN OPPOSES THE CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2016

“People of Assam are united. We can’t bear the burden of more Bangladeshi nationals. We are telling the government patiently. In case they don’t hear us, we are ready to launch a vigorous struggle,” Zubeen Garg had said in the video.