Organisers wash their hands of Dandiya mess

Dubai: Panache Entertainment, the organiser of Disco Dandiya, has reiterated that it was not responsible for the chaos at the gate to the event on Thursday night where people fainted and were shoved and pushed by security guards.

"From day one we told the venue authorities not to hold two 'dandiyas' at the same place," said a spokesman who wished to remain anonymous. Apparently there was another Navratri event at Area C for free in the Zabeel Park, while the Disco Dandiya was given Area A.

"The audience from the other event entered into arguments with Disco Dandiya security not realising this was not the event they had planned to attend," Panache said in a statement.

The crowd had got so huge and unmanageable that the gate had to be closed, but the situation nearly got out of hand. "We then opened the gate," the spokesman said.

Panache said in the statement it always ensures that its events are safe and secured. According to the spokesman about 6,000 people attended the event to celebrate the Festival of Nights.