Playback singer Sonu Nigam is the latest to be caught in the language controversy in Karnataka. At a recent concert here, he got irked and downright angry after a fan asked him to sing a Kannada song out of the many he had sung for Kannada films in the past.

Instead of obliging a fan, Nigam blasted the fan and blamed this kind of tendency for the Pahalgam terror attack, shocking his fans and the general public in Karnataka.

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The social media world was red hot with numerous people blasting the singer for linking an audience request for a song into a linkage to terrorism. Now, already at the receiving end of many a controversy with people from outside Karnataka painting Kannadaigas as mindless and violent language fanatics, the activists are not taking it lying down anymore.

Said Arun Javagal, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike office bearer, by saying “Kannada, Kannada, Kannada – this is what led to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam …singer Sonu Nigam has equated Kannada people’s language struggle with terrorism. In response, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike is filing an FIR against the singer.”

Javagal told The Statesman, “It seems to have become a fashion for the people from outside to whip up the language issue and defame Kannadigas for no reason.”

Only a few days ago, an IAF officer spread lies and concocted a story to paint Kannadigas and Karnataka as violent language fanatics, saying that he was beaten up for not speaking Kannada. Where in reality, he had beaten up the victim, a delivery boy, black and blue. And the delivery boy speaks six languages, including English and Hindi.

In a viral video, Sonu Nigam said, “The best songs I’ve sung are in Kannada. Whenever I do shows in Karnataka, I come with a lot of respect. You have considered me as a part of your family. I didn’t like it when a boy over there asked me to sing in Kannada. The number of years I’ve been singing in Kannada must be more than his age. He [the audience member] was so rudely threatening, ‘Kannada, Kannada’. This is the reason for the Pahalgam attack; what was done here just now? Look at who is standing before you. I love Kannadigas, I love you guys.”

These remarks soon attracted a huge retaliation from the Kannada community and language activists, who have decided to file an FIR against the singer for hurting the sentiments of lakhs of Kannadigas and for maligning the state and its language.

Javagal had also said in a post on the social media platform X, “At an event in Karnataka, when asked to sing a Kannada song, he refused and brought up a terrorist attack in Kashmir. What does that have to do with Kannada?”

Arun said that Kannada speakers are always questioned when they stand up for their rights.

“Why should Kannadigas always be the ones to give up our identity and language in the name of nationalism?… We must stop giving even the slightest importance to Kashmir or North Indian issues when our own language and pride are under attack. Don’t lose Kannada for the sake of false ultra-nationalism. Kannada is not just a language — it’s our identity. And it comes first.”

Kannada activists want the police to record a complaint suo motu, but a team from Karnataka Raksha Vedike has filed the FIR.

Shweta Mohan, KRV Bangalore City Women’s wing, told the Statesman that they had indeed filed an FIR against Sonu Nigam, and she said that the vedike demanded action against the Hindi film songs singer for defaming Karnataka and Kannada people.