A police complaint was filed against the renowned singer Sonu Nigam on May 2, 2025, for making objectionable statements and insulting Kannadigas during his recent Bengaluru concert.
On Friday, a police complaint was filed against National Award-winning playback singer Sonu Nigam on May 2, 2025. For the unversed, this complaint has been lodged against singer Sonu Nigam for making objectionable and emotionally provocative statements during a musical event held on April 25-26, 2025, at East Point College of Engineering and Technology, Virgonagar, Bengaluru.
A video of Sonu Nigam allegedly insulting ‘Kannadigas’ in a Bengaluru concert is doing rounds on the internet, where he is seen saying, ‘In my career, I have sung songs in different languages, but the best songs I have sung are in the Kannada language. Whenever I come to your city, I bring a lot of love. We do many shows in many places, but whenever we do a show in Karnataka, we bring a lot of respect for you. You have treated me like your family, but I don’t like that a boy from there, who is not even as big as my career, is threatening me to sing in the Kannada language. This is the reason behind the incident in Pahalgam. Please see who is standing in front of you. I love you guys.’
The now-viral video sparked outrage among millions of Kannadigas across the state. His statements have hurt the sentiments of the Kannadiga community, incited hatred among various linguistic communities in Karnataka. The police complaint includes the violations of the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) made by singer Sonu Nigam.
- BNS Section 352(1) (Promoting enmity between groups)
- BNS Section 351(2) (Criminal Defamation)
- BNS Section 353 (Outraging religious or linguistic sentiments)
What was the incident?
According to reports, during Sonu Nigam’s Bengaluru concert, which took place on April 25-26, 2025, a student requested Sonu Nigam to sing a Kannada song. In response, the singer made an objectionable statement, saying, ‘Kannada, Kannada, Kannada, this is exactly why the incident happened in Pahalgam.’ It is alleged that by linking a request to sing a Kannada song to a terrorist act, Sonu Nigam insulted the Kannadiga community.
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