Bengaluru: Karnataka police have issued a notice to popular singer Sonu Nigam, summoning him for questioning in connection with an FIR lodged against him for linking a demand for a Kannada song to the Pahalgam terror attack. The police, investigating the matter, have given Nigam seven days to appear before them. The issue stems from remarks made by the singer during an event in Bengaluru, where he reportedly linked the demand for a Kannada song to the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
The controversy erupted when Nigam, performing at an event at East Point College of Engineering and Technology on April 25-26, responded to an audience member demanding a Kannada song. He stopped singing and remarked, “I have sung in different languages. Among them, the best songs are in Kannada. Whenever I come to Karnataka, I come with a lot of love and respect. You all have treated me like family. I always sing Kannada songs when requested. I have been singing in Kannada longer than that youth’s age. But I didn’t like the way he shouted ‘Kannada, Kannada’. It is because of such behaviour that incidents like the Pahalgam attack happen.”
His comments were met with widespread anger from Kannada organisations, who demanded an apology from Nigam and filed police complaints against him. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike’s Bengaluru City District Unit President, Dharmaraj A., filed the FIR, accusing Nigam of inciting hatred between linguistic groups and insulting the Kannadiga community.
Sonu Nigam’s remarks have been viewed by many as divisive and harmful to communal harmony. Several Kannada organisations have expressed their displeasure, urging the police to take action. One of the groups, Raita Karmika Okkuta, has threatened to blacken Nigam’s face if he does not issue an unconditional apology. In response, Nigam released a video defending his comments, claiming that the audience members were not merely requesting, but aggressively demanding, a Kannada song. He also mentioned the Pahalgam attack to highlight that no one questioned the language there.
The case has sparked debates, with many criticising Nigam’s choice of words and linking a local cultural demand to a terrorist incident, which has aggravated the situation. Police have also taken action against Nigam with a second case filed in Chitradurga, and Kannada activists have promised to protest if he appears before the police in Bengaluru.
With IANS inputs