A Kannada organisation filed a police complaint against Sonu Nigam for offending the sentiments of the Kannadiga community after the singer allegedly made some comments associating a Kannada fan’s appeal with the terror attack which occurred in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Allegations of Promoting Hatred Against Sonu Nigam
The head of the Bengaluru city district of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), filed the complaint against the popular singer alleging that his remarks had promoted hatred against linguistic groups in Karnataka and might trigger violence, ANI reported.
The complaint reads, “Sonu Nigam’s statements have caused severe distress to the Kannadiga community. By equating a simple cultural request to sing a Kannada song with a terrorist act, Shri Nigam has portrayed Kannadigas as intolerant or violent, which is contrary to their peace-loving and harmonious nature.”
The complaint follows a video of the singer going viral on social media from a musical concert organized on April 25-26 at East Point College of Engineering and Technology, Virgonagar, Bengaluru.
Sonu Nigam’s Remarks on Pahalgam
Sonu Nigam was seen saying in the video that a fan had “threatened” him to sing in Kannada and linked such behaviour to the Pahalgam terror attack which took place on April 22.
Nigam said, “Mujhe accha nahi laga ki waha ek ladka jiski umar, jitni uske umar nahi hogi use pehle toh main Kannada gaane garaha hoon (I didn’t like the boy whose age, I have been singing Kannada songs before he was born).”
He added, “Yahi kaaran hai, Pahalgam mein jo hua hai na? Yahi kaaran hai jo karrahe ho, jo kiya tha na abhi? Dekho toh kaun saamne khada hai. (This is the reason for what happened in Pahalgam. This is the reason, what you did just now. Look at who is standing in front of you).”
Though the singer also confirmed that he cherished Kannadigas and Kannada, his remarks about the gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam ignited controversy.
The Pahalgam Terror Attack
The terror attack in Pahalgam, resulted in the death of 26 civilians, primarily tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir, fueling outrage and sorrow throughout the country. The occurrence has also soured relations between India and Pakistan as there are suspicions of cross-border terrorism.
