FIR against Sonu Nigam for 'hurting sentiments of Kannadigas'

Bengaluru: Multilingual singer Sonu Nigam has been booked for “hurting the sentiments” of Kannadigas by making an ‘objectionable’ statement during a recent music concert in Avalahalli on the eastern outskirts of Bengaluru.

Avalahalli police on Saturday filed an FIR 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."

CK Baba, Superintendent of Police (SP), Bengaluru rural, told DH that they reviewed the video and also sought legal opinion before filing the FIR.

“The statement of the singer, as per the video, appears objectionable, and it has hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. Many people have expressed objections to the statement as well,” Baba told DH. “The case is being dealt with seriously, and the singer will be summoned soon. He will be asked to appear before the investigating officer for questioning,” he added.

The video of the incident was widely circulated on social media and drew criticism from a large number of people. Dharmaraj A, president of the KRV's 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.

“His statements have deeply hurt the sentiments of the Kannadiga community, incited hatred among various linguistic communities in Karnataka, and are likely to provoke violence. A video of Sonu Nigam’s statement has gone viral, causing widespread outrage among millions of Kannadigas across the state,” Dharmaraj said in his complaint.

In a video statement shared 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.”