Shafin Ahmed of the popular Bangla rock band Miles has said that his Facebook status in favour of Bangladesh during a cricket World Cup match against India should be taken as love for his own country, not hatred for the neighbouring one.

Shafin Ahmed made this comment while talking to the BBC about a social media debate on this issue that led to the cancellation of Miles’ performance at Azadi Concert, which is scheduled to take place in Kolkota marking India’s Independence Day.

A Facebook campaign, supported by Kolkota based rock band Fossils, has been running for a while in India saying that Miles members, Shafin Ahmed and his brother Hamim Ahmed, have frequently made ‘anti-India remarks’, according to BBC which also reported that Fossils has gone to the extent of threatening to boycott Azadi Concert if Miles perform in it.

While talking to the BBC, Shafin Ahmed, however, said his band has already decided not to join the concert in India.

‘During a cricket match I may very well write a few words on Facebook supporting Bangladesh,’ Shafin said about the Facebook debate. ‘It’s not India-hatred, it’s called patriotism.’

Shafin expressed his sheer disappointment saying why an issue like this would come in the way of Miles’ performance in India.

 ‘A lot many artists from the neighbouring country [India] are joining programmes here [Bangladesh], and we welcome them’ the rockstar went on, ‘and now when time came for Miles go to Kolkata, attempts to bar it is clearly a display of mean mindedness.’

‘This is totally unexpected,’ Shafin added.

Meanwhile, the organiser of the concert has decided to drop both Miles and Fossils from its programme, reported BBC.