The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the Bengaluru police not to take any coercive action against Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam in the case involving his alleged objectionable remarks against Kannada language.
The reference to Pahalgam—a site of past terror violence in Jammu and Kashmir—sparked widespread outrage. Critics accused Nigam of making an inappropriate comparison.
Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, who landed in controversy after allegedly linking a demand for a Kannada song to the Pahalgam terrorist attack, has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR filed against him by Kannada activists for allegedly defaming the state and its language.
The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) subsequently barred him from engaging in professional work within the Kannada film industry and also demanded an apology.
Activists from Kannada Sene submitted a memorandum to the Mandya Superintendent of Police demanding legal action and the immediate arrest of Sonu Nigam.
Launching a full-fledged non-cooperation with Sonu Nigam, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) demanded a public apology after he linked a Kannada language song request to the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
The complaint accuses Sonu Nigam of making "objectionable and emotionally provocative" statements that have hurt the sentiments of the Kannadiga community.
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.
“If you come across any suspicious or fake messages under my name, it would be great if you could report or block the account,” he wrote in his Instagram story.
As expected, fans rushed to his defense. One user wrote, "Sonu Nigam himself is an award. They don’t have the ability to measure the depth of your voice."
