NEW DELHI: Early this month, a concert in Mumbai by Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali to pay tribute to the late Jagjit Singh, had to be cancelled because Shiv Sena leaders were not in favour of it, in view of firings across the border.

Now, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has extended a fresh invitation to the ghazal maestro by remarking that his government will ensure foolproof security if he still wishes to perform in the city.

"Last time the event did not happen because the organisers backed out. But if Ghulam Ali ji wants to perform again in Mumbai or anywhere else in Maharashtra, we will ensure foolproof security for him," Fadnavis said at the India Today conclave here.

"We will not hesitate to put behind bars and prosecute anybody, even somebody from our party or our friends who break the law. When Ghulam Aliji was to perform in Mumbai, we had announced full security for him. But before we could formally communicate with them, they decided to back out," Fadnavis said.

Interestingly, Sena leaders had participated in a function in Mumbai on 20 September to felicitate Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.