A police complaint was filed against singer Sonu Nigam by an office bearer of a pro-Kannada organisation in Bengaluru for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Kannadiga community at a recent concert.
In a video that went viral on social media following the Bengaluru concerts on April 25 and 26, a fan can be seen asking Nigam to sing a song in Kannada. Reacting to the request, the 51-year-old singer points out that the fan had a “hostile” attitude and compared the aggressive tone with that of the violence meted out to tourists during the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“On April 25, 26, during a musical event at East Point College, it is reported that a student requested Sonu Nigam to sing a Kannada song. In response, Nigam made an objectionable statement, saying, "Kannada, Kannada, Kannada, this is exactly why the incident happened in Pahalgam."
“By linking a simple request to sing a Kannada song to a terrorist act, Nigam insulted the Kannadiga community and equated their cultural pride and linguistic identity with violence and intolerance,” reads the complaint, lodged by the president of the Bengaluru city district unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), as reported by ANI.
“Shri Sonu Nigam's statements are objectionable, divisive, and harmful to communal harmony. They violate the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023,” it further reads.
The terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed at least 26 people — most of them tourists — in the deadliest assault the Baisaran Valley has witnessed since the 2019 Pulwama attack. Reports indicate that tourists stated the terrorists questioned them about their religion before opening fire.
Fans have been criticising the singer on social media, demanding an immediate apology. “This feels personal. #SonuNigam has been a beloved voice in the #Kannada music industry for 29 years, captivating audiences with his timeless melodies. The singer has often expressed love for the language, the people, and #Karnataka. So, when a fan asked for a #Kannada song at a concert in #Bengaluru, was it really 'hostility'? Was that moment serious enough to be compared to #Pahalgam?” wrote an X user.
“What does asking for a Kannada song have to do with Pahalgam? Are you an imbecile mr #SonuNigam,” another fan tweeted. “Crazy hypocrisy by Sonu Nigam,” commented another netizen.
