Enrique Iglesias performs during the 2007 Wango Tango concert in Irvine, California. (Photo : REUTERS/MARIO ANZUONI)
Organizers of a recent Enrique Iglesias concert in Sri Lanka have angered the country's President Maithripala Sirisena, who said they should be "whipped with toxic stingray tails" for the "uncivilized behavior" of female fans at the show, throwing undergarments at the Latin heartthrob.
President Sirisena who addressed a gathering of clergy and school children in a remote part of the island, said women ran onto stage to kiss the "Bailando" hit maker and even resorted to throwing a bra at him, the BBC reported.
The President who was appalled at such behavior said the severest punishment of whipping with "stingray tails" should be meted out to organizers and not to the women who behaved in a manner that he said was "most uncivilized."
President Sirisena added that such behavior was "harmful to the local culture," the publication reported.
According to reports the use of poisonous stingray tails for whipping was a medieval punishment put into practice in the island to deter hardened criminals and is today used as a local idiom to imply harsh punishment for wrongdoing.
Further, the President warned organizers that the government would be more vigilant about allowing artistes who stir up female fans and illicit such behavior from performing in the country in the future.
"I want to stress that these indecent concerts will never receive authorization again in Sri Lanka," he said.
President Sirisena's comments come amidst a storm of controversy surrounding the show's organizers. The show was organized by Live Events, a newly launched entertainment company founded by retired Sri Lankan cricketing legends, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
In a statement obtained by Billboard the two cricketing idols issued an apology to concert goers, acknowledging a serious failure in security and promised to refund premium ticket holders who claimed
their space had been invaded by crowds that had forcefully made their way closer to the stage.
The king of Latin pop was in the island for the first time to perform as part of his " Sex And Love" tour at
a local rugby stadium in Colombo. The show was the penultimate destination on his touring itinerary.
