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Singer Sonu Nigam faces police action over remarks on Pahalgam attack.
An FIR was filed after his comments during a Bengaluru concert stirred outrage.
Nigam defended his stance, claiming he faced threats for not singing in Kannada.
New Delhi:
Singer Sonu Nigam has been booked by the Bengaluru police following his recent remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack during a musical concert in the city. An FIR was registered on Saturday after the comments sparked controversy.
Following the backlash, the singer issued a statement on social media defending his stance. “While I was singing my first song, there was a bunch of four-to-five students who were not demanding, but actually threateningly asking me to sing in Kannada. There were many people in the audience who tried to stop them and asked them to not cause disturbance,” he said in a video shared on Instagram.
He added, “Unn paanchon ko yeh yaad dilana aur batana bahut zaruri tha ki Pahalgam mein jab pant utaari gayi thi, tab bhaasha nahin poochi gayi thi. I love Kannadigas. They are extremely sweet and beautiful people, and I hold them very close to my heart. So, please do not generalise them. Sirf chaar-panch ladke the jo meri aankhon mein dekh ke gusse se bol rahe the…Har jagah iss tarah ke log hote hain. (It was important to remind them that, during the Pahalgam attack, people were not asked their language. Kannadigas are a lovely people… It was important to remind those four or five people that you cannot allow people to threaten you. You cannot have people sowing seeds of hate in a land of love. They were not demanding, they were threatening)”.
ICYDK, the incident took place during a show held on April 25-26 at East Point College of Engineering and Technology in Virgonagar, Bengaluru. During the performance, a young man allegedly insisted that Sonu sing in Kannada, leading to a heated exchange.
The singer responded, “I have sung in different languages, including Kannada. Whenever I come to Karnataka, I come with a lot of love and respect. You all have treated me like family,” the singer said.
“I always sing Kannada songs when requested. I have been singing in Kannada before that young man was born. But I didn’t like the way he shouted ‘Kannada, Kannada’. It is because of such behaviour that incidents like the Pahalgam attack happen,” Sonu Nigam added.
The remarks drew criticism from several quarters, including Kannada film producer Karthik Gowda and activist SR Govindu.