Sonu Nigam has been booked under Sections 352(1) (promoting hatred between different groups) and 352(2) (criminal defamation) of the Bharthiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Published May 04, 2025 | 5:21 PM ⚊ Updated May 04, 2025 | 5:21 PM
“Kannada, Kannada—that’s why Pahalgam happened”: Sonu Nigam’s remark triggers outrage
Synopsis: Karnataka Police filed an FIR against playback singer Sonu Nigam based on acomplaint by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Kannadigas. Meanwhile, Nigam posted a video on his Instagram handle explaining what happened at the concert.
Acting on a complaint, the Karnataka Police filed an FIR against playback singer Sonu Nigam on Saturday, 3 May. The complaint was filed by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike at the Avalahalli Police Station against the singer for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Kannadigas.
In the video of a concert that went viral, Nigam compared the attitude of some boys in his concert, who asked him to sing Kannada songs, to that of the terrorist attack on civilians in Pahalgam.
The incident took place during the concert held on 25-26 April at East Point College of Engineering and Technology in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Nigam posted a video on his Instagram handle explaining what happened at the concert. He also asked people not to generalise all Kannadigas because of a few people who allegedly threatened him at the concert.
In the video, he said, “There were four or five goon-type people who were shouting ‘Kannada, Kannada’ angrily. Some girls were asking them not to shout like that, and not to disturb the scene. It’s important to tell those four to five people that the terrorists did not ask for the language of the people.”
He continued, “You should not allow them to threaten you as an audience to make you sing. However, if those provoke others, it’s important to stop them right away. If someone is sowing the seeds of hatred in the land of love, we must stop them.”
Nigam also requested the audience not to generalise Kannadigas.
He said, “Kannadigas are beautiful people, please don’t generalise them. Four boys were talking to me angrily after I finished singing the first song. They were not demanding, they were threatening. You can ask the people who were there.”
In the FIR, register after a complaint was filed by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Bengaluru Unit President Dharma Raj, the police said: “The complaint has been filed for the objectionable and inflammatory statements made by renowned singer Sonu Nigam at a concert held at East Point College of Engineering and Technology, Virgonagar, Bengaluru on 25 April 2025 in this police station area. His statement has hurt the sentiments of the Kannadiga community and could incite violence among various linguistic communities of Karnataka. The video of Sonu’s statement has gone viral and crores of Kannadigas across the state are outraged.”
Nigam has been booked under Sections 352(1) (promoting hatred between different groups) and 352(2) (criminal defamation) of the Bharthiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Dharma Raj stated in the complaint, “By associating the demand for the Kannada song with an act of terrorism, Nigam not only insulted the Kannadiga community, but compared their cultural pride or linguistic identity to violence and intolerance. These statements were recorded in video form, went viral on social media and were reported in various news channels. Apart from this, there has been a lot of anger among the Kannadigas, and there has been a fear of attack on the Kannadigas in different parts of the country.”
Dharma Raj alleged that Nigam’s statements were objectionable, divisive and detrimental to communal harmony.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
