Mika Singh slams Uttarakhand minister Subodh Uniyal over Daler Mehndi row and demands apology; says, 'An artist deserves dignity, regardless of the circumstances'
Mika Singh has asked Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal to apologise for his remarks to Daler Mehndi during a stage show. In a new post on X, Mika questioned whether the minister wants artists to stay away from the state.
The minister had reprimanded the Punjabi singer mid-performance and suggested that he was intoxicated, a claim that has not been independently verified.
What Mika Singh shared on X
Mika Singh pointed out that the minister has still not apologised for comments made on a public platform. In his caption, he wrote, “The way Minister @SubodhUniyal1 ji spoke on stage was extremely rude and disrespectful. An artist deserves dignity, regardless of the circumstances.
He reportedly said on stage, “Yahan aapse pehle @manindarbuttar pit ke gaya tha. Itna pita tha ki ab uska baap bhi nahi aa sakta yahan se (Before you, someone got beaten up here and in such a way that even his father cannot come here again).
”Mika added, “Is this really the language a minister should use for artists? What kind of behaviour is this? Artists come to perform, entertain people, and honour their commitments. They deserve respect, not humiliation from a public platform.
Subodh Uniyal ji, do you want artists to stop coming to Uttarakhand? Such an attitude can discourage artists from performing in a state that we all love.”He also appealed to the minister directly. “Please remember that the people have given you the position you hold today. Public office comes with responsibility, humility, and accountability. I have immense love and respect for Uttarakhand, but artists deserve respect too.
I sincerely hope you will reflect on your words and address this matter with dignity.”
What happened at the New Tehri event?
Daler Mehndi performed at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri, Uttarakhand, on Sunday night. Uniyal interrupted him mid-performance and reprimanded him on stage. The minister criticised the singer’s conduct and said, “You cannot even speak, so how are you going to sing?” The remark hinted that the singer was intoxicated.
The clip soon spread widely on social media.
Minister explains why he spoke up
Later, Subodh Uniyal told ANI why he had questioned Daler Mehndi in public. “He is a big artist. If a big artist doesn’t do justice to their art... He seemed disoriented on stage and didn’t seem to be able to even keep standing. Besides this, he was only lip-syncing to his songs. I told him that he is a big artist and he should do justice to his art; he had been offered ₹35 lakh to come and perform, but he was not even singing. So, I expressed my resentment.
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