Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali, whose concert in Mumbai had to be cancelled last year following protests by Shiv Sena, will be treated as a state guest in Kerala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Wednesday.

"A decision in this regard was taken at the cabinet meeting here," Chandy told reporters.

The 75-year-old singer, who visits Kerala at the invitation of a socio-cultural organisation 'Swaralaya', will be accorded a public reception in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. He is scheduled to perform in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on January 15 and 17 respectively.

Shiv Sena has threatened to hold a march to the venues of the concert to protest against the singer's programme in the wake of the Pathankot terror strike. The party has demanded cancellation of the programme.

Last year, a scheduled programme of Ali was cancelled in Maharashtra following a protest by Shiv Sena.