Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium turns into a concert hub: RTI

CHANDIGARH Once known as a hub of sporting excellence, Delhi's premier stadiums managed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) seem to have shifted their focus to hosting entertainment events, sidelining sports in the process.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN), one of SAI's largest and most prestigious facilities, hosted a concert by Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh on October 26 and 27 as part of the "Dil-Luminati India Tour 2024." During the event, 4,300 bottles of liquor and 69,000 bottles of beer were reportedly served to attendees. This information was revealed through a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by Punjab-based activist and advocate Kamal Anand.

The liquor license for the event was procured by the organizer, Saregama India Pvt. Ltd., and was valid for the two-day live concert.

According to SAI's reply to the RTI, the organizers paid Rs 3,07,58,436 as the booking amount for the event.

The license issued by the Excise Department stipulated that alcohol would only be served to adults over 25 years of age, and the designated area for serving alcohol had to be screened off from public view.