Controversy erupts over disruption of Jassie Gift’s performance during college event

Popular singer and musician Jassie Gift faced an embarrassing moment at St. Peter’s College at Kolencherry near here after the Principal interrupted his performance midway during the college day event

Popular singer and musician Jassie Gift faced an embarrassing moment at St. Peter’s College at Kolencherry near here after the Principal interrupted his performance midway during the college day event on March 14 (Thursday).

A video of the event that started circulating on the social media from March 15 showed the college Principal, Binuja Joseph, entering the stage while Jassie Gift was rendering a song. She is seen asking the singer to give the microphone and announced that the management had given permission for Mr. Gift alone to perform. She objected to the performance of Sajin, a singer, along with Mr. Gift while stating that the organisers had taken permission for the performance of Mr. Gift and “not any one else.”

Taken by surprise, Mr. Gift left the stage in protest against the Principal’s act.

He later said it was “a common practice” in such events to have a co-singer rendering a few songs. “The (college) authorities should not have insulted us this way. They could have informed us about the regulations, if any, before the start of the event or after it was over,” he said.

The Principal pointed out that the government had “strengthened the rules” in the conduct of such events, especially after the tragic incident at the musical show in the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) in November 2023.

“Student organisers were clearly informed that the permission was given only for the performance of Jassie Gift. I did not grab the mic from him and there was no intention to insult him as we had to follow the rules prescribed by the government while holding such events,” she said.

A section of the students protested against the college authorities after the programme was disrupted midway.