Bengaluru: FIR filed against singer Sonu Nigam after Kannada outfit filed complaint accusing him of hurting sentiments of Kannadigas
An FIR has been registered against singer Sonu Nigam over his recent comments at a Bengaluru concert after a member of the audience rudely asked him to sing in Kannada. The FIR was registered on Saturday at the Avalahalli Police Station, Bengaluru, for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Kannadigas with his comments.
A Kannada outfit named Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) had filed a complaint against singer Sonu Nigam on Friday for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the people of Karnataka. The outfit alleged that the singer insulted the Kannada language and incited linguistic hatred during a music event in Bengaluru.
“This statement is not only insensitive, but also dangerous. By linking a simple cultural request to a terrorist incident, Sonu Nigam has portrayed Kannadigas as intolerant, inciting linguistic hatred and threatening communal harmony,” the complaint read. The complaint has been received by the police, however, a case has not been registered yet.
What did the singer say?
The controversy erupted during a music event held on 25th April at East Point College of Engineering and Technology in Virgonagari, where Sonu performed. During his performance, a person from the audience interrupted him and kept pestering him to sing a Kannada song. Nigam perceived the person’s behaviour as rude and exhibiting linguistic chauvinism. Declining to sing in Kannada, the singer said that hr has been singing Kannada songs even before the person was born.
“I had started singing Kannada songs even before he was born. This is why the Pahalgam attack happened — for such a kind of attitude. At least see who is in front of you before making such demands,” said the singer to drive home the point that any kind of division, whether based on language or religion, results in incidents like the Pahalgam terror attack.
Sonu Nigan defends his comments
The singer has posted a video message on Facebook and Instagram, defending his comments at the concert. He said that the tone of asking him to sing in Kannada was actually a threat, not just a demand. Sonu Nigam said that after he completed his first song, 4-5 guys starting shouting that he should sing in Kannada.
He said, “The four to five people who were shouting were like goons… several other people tried to stop them. 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.”
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