Diljit Dosanjh sees his mother in CRPF officer, invites her on stage at Delhi concert

Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh paused his Aura India Tour concert at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday to thank the security personnel at the venue. He saluted them and invited a woman CRPF officer on stage, telling her that she reminded him of his mother.During the opening show of his seven-city tour, Dosanjh also responded to criticism over his viral “I'm an artist, bro” remark and his initial decision to stay away from a Cockroach Janta Party-led student protest. He said his apolitical position should not be mistaken for a lack of courage and told the audience not to teach Punjabis how to fight battles.Dosanjh stopped his performance and asked the audience to give the security personnel a big round of applause. As the crowd cheered, he saluted them and thanked them for their service. “If you are not here, we wouldn't feel safe,” he said.He then invited the woman officer onto the stage and affectionately placed his hand on her head. “I get to meet my mother once or twice a year. But when you were standing there, I thought my mother was standing there,” he told her. Recalling a conversation with his mother earlier that day, Dosanjh added: “Today my mother called me. She said, ‘Take care of yourself.’ I said, ‘Good things will happen, don't worry.’ Looking at you today, I thought it was my mother who was standing with me.”In the caption accompanying his post, Dosanjh wrote: “Shoutout to Delhi FANS. Shoutout to @delhi.police_official Shoutout to #crpf Shoutout to @officialdmrc Shout to @bookmyshow.live LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE (sic).” Response to ‘I'm an artist, bro’ controversyDosanjh also addressed the criticism surrounding his “I'm an artist, bro” comment, made when he initially declined to comment on the CJP-led student protest. The remark was widely interpreted as an attempt to distance himself from a politically sensitive issue, with some social media users arguing that a public figure of his stature had a responsibility to speak up.Referring to his earlier statement that he was an artiste and not a politician, Dosanjh said no one understood how to stand up for a cause better than a Punjabi. “Don't teach Punjabis how to fight battles. The film you stood on stage and mocked — Jaswant Singh Khalra Ji's film. We fought for a very long time for that film. I stay quiet, I love everyone. If someone hates us, no problem, from our side it's only love for everyone!” he said.He reiterated his goodwill towards everyone, telling the audience: “I love you all.”More about the showThe concert was originally scheduled to begin at 4 pm, but Dosanjh later asked fans on social media to reach the venue at 6.30 pm. Rain and logistical problems caused further delays, and the performance eventually began at around 7.40 pm.The two-hour-and-20-minute performance combined music with pyrotechnics, lasers, a drone show and synchronised light bands moving to the beat. The set included songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Hare Ram Hare Ram track from the Hindi film Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and several of Dosanjh's own hits.Dosanjh also made room for spontaneous exchanges with the audience. He accepted gifts, posed for photographs, encouraged fans to sing along and handed out return gifts from boxes kept ready by his team for those invited onto the stage. The audience ranged from children under 10 to adult fans.He repeatedly acknowledged longtime listeners who had followed his work since the early 2000s. Before performing some lesser-known tracks, he said: “These songs are for my old fans, the new ones might not know this.” His older songs drew cheers similar to those for his recent hits.Once fans entered the stadium, the lights, music and energy of the crowd took over, particularly when Dosanjh greeted them with his familiar call, “Panjabi Aa Gaye Oye!” The phrase also appeared during the drone show.- Ends