Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 13: Popular Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam has moved the Karnataka High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks during a music concert held in Bengaluru last month.
The FIR, lodged at the Avalahalli police station, accuses the singer of hurting the sentiments of the Kannadiga community during his performance at East Point College on April 25 and 26. The matter came up for hearing before a vacation bench of Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar on Tuesday. The court has now posted the case for further hearing on May 15.
The complaint, filed by pro-Kannada outfit Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and its member Dharma Raj Ananthaiha, alleges that Nigam drew an insensitive comparison during the concert by equating a request from the audience to sing a Kannada song with the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The complainant claimed that this analogy painted the Kannada-speaking community in a negative light, suggesting intolerance or violence, and caused deep anguish among locals.
Based on the complaint dated May 2, the FIR was registered the following day. Nigam has been charged under Sections 351, 352, and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and making statements conducive to public mischief.
In his plea, the singer has urged the court to quash both the complaint and the FIR. He has also sought interim relief in the form of a stay on the ongoing investigation.
The controversy erupted after Nigam reportedly refused to accede to the demands of a section of the audience insisting he sing a Kannada song, which allegedly led to a heated exchange during the concert.
Clarifying his position through a video message shared on social media, Nigam stated that a few individuals at the event had aggressively demanded that he sing in Kannada while he was performing Hindi numbers. He expressed disappointment over the behaviour of the group, maintaining that his comments were taken out of context.
The incident has sparked a fresh debate over language sensitivity and artistic freedom, with reactions pouring in from both supporters and critics of the singer.