Foreign artistes are a threat to the country, says MNS

A day after Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained for illegal possession of foreign currency, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) demanded action against foreign artistes working in the city.

A day after Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained for illegal possession of foreign currency, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) demanded action against foreign artistes working in the city.

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They said these artistes who come here on tourist permits pose a threat to the country. “There is no record of these foreigners and they continue to work without any restrictions,” said Amey Khopkar, secretary, MNS Cine Workers’ Union.

A delegation of the MNS Cine workers union met Mumbai police commissioner Sanjeev Dayal demanding strict punitive action against these foreigners.

Khopkar also questioned the mode of payments made to these artists. “There is also no mechanism to check these payments and there is every possibility of illegal money being channelised through these artistes,” he added.

According to the MNS, Dayal has assured them that he would take up the matter with the immigration department.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for possessing $1.24 lakh which was above the permissible limit. He was told to deposit in passport and not to leave the country till further investigation. The MNS warned that it would be forced to take up the matter in its style if no action was taken.

The cine workers’ union has been responsible for forcing multiplexes to screen Marathi movies on prime time in multiplexes, disallowing the use of the word Bombay in films and also on the issue of film piracy.