Bengaluru police issue notice to Sonu Nigam over ‘objectionable’ comments

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Rural police on Monday issued a notice of appearence to popular multilingual actor Sonu Nigam over his ‘objectionable’ statement during a recent music concert, police officials said on Monday.

“The singer has been asked to appear next week,” CK Baba, Superintendent of Police (Bengaluru Rural), said. “Considering the gravity of the situation, a police inspector has been tasked to investigate the case."

Avalahalli police on May 3 registered the case under BNS sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation that invites imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine, or both), 352(1) (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 353 (statements conducive to public mischief).

On April 25, Nigam took part in a musical concert at East Point College, Virgonagar. In a widely circulated video from the concert, a student was heard requesting Nigam to sing a Kannada song. In response, Nigam remarked, “Kannada, Kannada, this is the reason why Pahalgam happened."

On April 22, 26 people were killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The video of the incident was widely circulated on social media and drew criticism. Dharmaraj A, president of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike’s (KRV) Bengaluru City District Unit, registered a police complaint.

He alleged that by linking a simple request for a Kannada song to a terrorist act, Nigam had insulted Kannadigas and equated their cultural pride and linguistic identity with violence and intolerance.

In a video statement shared subsequently by Nigam on Instagram, he claimed that there were four or five people who screamed “Kannada, Kannada,” which was rather threatening than requesting. He claimed that it was necessary to remind those people that during the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the victims were asked about religion and not language.

He further added, “Kannadigas are beautiful people; don't generalise them. These are only four or five bad people.”