Four-five boys in audience were threatening me to sing in Kannada: Sonu Nigam after FIR
New Delhi, May 4 (PTI): Singer Sonu Nigam, who is currently facing an FIR for allegedly offending the sentiments of Kannadigas during a recent concert in Bengaluru, has stated that he was "threatened" by a small group of boys to sing in Kannada at the event.
He also urged people "not to generalise" or hold the entire community responsible for the actions of a few.
An FIR was registered at the Avalahalli Police Station in Bengaluru on Saturday against the popular playback singer for reportedly retorting, "Kannada. Kannada. This is the reason behind the incident in Pahalgam," in response to an audience member's request to sing in Kannada.
In his complaint, Dharamaraj Ananthayya, the president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), said Nigam had not only insulted Kannadigas but also likened their cultural pride and linguistic identity to violence and intolerance by linking the request for a Kannada song to a terrorist act.
Nigam, 51, shared his side of the story in a video on Instagram posted on Saturday.
"There were four-five goon-type people who were shouting 'Kannada-Kannada' angrily. There were girls who were requesting them not to shout like that, asking them not to disturb the scene. It's important to tell those four-five people that terrorists in Pahalgam didn't ask the language of the people...
"You have to not allow them to threaten you as an audience to make you sing. But those provoke others, it's important to stop them right away. If someone is sowing the seeds of hatred in the land of love, we must stop them. Kannadigas are beautiful people, so please do not generalise them. There were just four-five boys who were looking at me angrily after I finished my first song. They were not demanding, they were threatening. You can ask people who were there," he said.
The incident occurred during a live concert on April 25 at a college in Bengaluru. Nigam paused his performance when someone from the audience loudly demanded that he sing in Kannada. Frustrated by the repeated shouts of "Kannada, Kannada," the singer responded sharply from the stage.
In a video that went viral on social media, Nigam is also heard saying that some of the best songs of his career are in Kannada and that Karnataka has always treated him like family, but he was irked by how the demand was made.
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Iran warns of ‘uncontrollable consequences’ after energy site strike
Qatar warns residents of ‘Elavated’ threat
Tehran/Doha: Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian has warned that attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure could lead to “uncontrollable consequences” affecting the entire world.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said he “strongly condemns” the strikes that targeted the South Pars gasfield earlier in the day.
“Such aggressive actions will not achieve anything for the American Zionist enemy and their supporters. Rather, they will complicate the situation and could lead to uncontrollable consequences that will affect the entire world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has urged residents to remain indoors due to what it described as an elevated security threat.
Authorities have not provided further details, but the advisory comes amid growing concerns over the safety of energy infrastructure and civilian areas in the region.
