NEW DELHI: Indian authorities are tracking the activities of Houston-based Pakistani event manager and radio station owner Rehan Siddiqui who is said to be organising another Bollywood gala in the city later this year. It is alleged that he's using funds raised from events to finance Kashmir-related anti-India activities in the US, official sources here said.

What is of particular concern to India is the interest which some Bollywood stars have shown in participating in events which Siddiqui has helped organise. The Indian community in Houston has repeatedly in the past raised the issue with both foreign ministry and union home ministry.

The immediate provocation for bringing up the issue again seems to be a proposed Bollywood gala later this year in which Siddiqui is said to be involved. The organisers are said to have claimed that a leading Bollywood actor had agreed to participate in the event.

Last year though, actor and Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh cancelled his concert in Houston after the Indian community and also the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) wrote to Indian authorities, including MEA, about the involvement of 'ISI agent' Siddiqui.

Members of the Indian diaspora in Houston have urged the government to persuade Bollywood actors to not participate in events organised by Siddiqui. They have alleged that Siddiqui and other Pakistan nationals are working to organise anti-CAA protests in Houston and also pro-Khalistan protests by the local Sikh community.

"He owns a radio channel and brings Indian artistes to Houston for Bollywood concerts. He uses his radio channels as a platform to run anti-India propaganda," said a prominent member of the Indian community in Houston who didn’t want to be named.

"We have written to the Indian government that it is important to deprive people like Siddiqui of access to Indian artistes. If Bollywood actors continue to become a part of these events, it will do nothing to help efforts by the Indian community to fight anti-CAA and anti-Modi propaganda," he added. Siddiqui’s channel is also accused of carrying out anti-India propaganda after the Pulwama attack and the subsequent Balakot airstrikes by India.

According to a PTI report last year, FWICE had claimed that artistes such as actor Saif Ali Khan and singer Shreya Ghoshal were performing in America at the behest of Siddiqi, who was also the promoter of the shows. "It is our humble request to all our country's performers not to give priority to monetary considerations and refrain from being a part of any such project with Pak nationals and Pak performers anywhere in the entire world," the FWICE statement had added.

