Sonu Nigam’s remarks on Pahalgam terror attack stoke controversy

BENAGLURU: Popular singer Sonu Nigam finds himself in the midst of a controversy after he lost his calm made a statement linked to the Pahalgam terror attack after a youth in the crowd insisted that he sing in Kannada during his live concert in Bengaluru.

While performing at East Point College in Bengaluru, a student reportedly rudely asked Sonu Nigam to sing a Kannada song. The singer stopped his performance mid-way and expressed his love for Kannada and the people of Karnataka.

“I have sung in various languages throughout my career, and some of my best songs are in Kannada. I have always been treated with love and respect here. Every time I visit Karnataka, I sing songs in Kannada for the people on request. I have been singing Kannada songs even from before that boy’s age. However, I didn’t like the way the boy shouted ‘Kannada, Kannada’. It was not like a request, he was threatening me to sing Kannada songs. This kind of behaviour is what led to the Pahalgam attack”, Sonu Nigam said, sparking controversy.

However, he gave clarity on what he meant and what is the reason for his anger at that youth. Then he sang a Kannada song on request to appease his fans.

Sonu Nigam stopped the concert for a while as the youth interrupted him during singing, then took time to calm down the situation.

Sonu Nigam connects the dots—from a rude demand to sing in Kannada to the Pahalgam terror attack—reminding everyone that our real enemy isn’t each other, it’s division.

Time to choose unity over ego. End this divisive games. Be one against enemies of Nation pic.twitter.com/znaeuWpI8l

— Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) May 1, 2025

The statement has drawn flak from Kannada groups, which have questioned the connection between Sonu Nigam’s request to sing a Kannada song and the terrorist attack. They have demanded that Sonu Nigam be boycotted from the Kannada film industry and that the police take suo motu cognizance of the matter.

The singer said in a way that music has no horizon, and he does not believe in the division of language and noted that people should be broad-minded.

The president of the Bengaluru city district unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada organisation, has lodged a police complaint against singer Sonu Nigam, stating that his statements have deeply hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas, incited hatred among various linguistic communities in Karnataka and are likely to provoke violence.

This complaint was lodged against the renowned singer for allegedly making ‘objectionable’ and ’emotionally provocative’ statements during a musical event held on April 25- 26 at East Point College of Engineering and Technology at Virgonagar in Bengaluru.