KFCC launches 'non-cooperation' campaign against singer Sonu Nigam over Kannada remark
Bengaluru, May 5 (PTI): The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) on Monday announced a 'non-cooperation' campaign against Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam over a controversial remark he made during a recent concert in Bengaluru.
The Narayana Gowda faction of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged a demonstration in the city in protest against Nigam’s comment.
During a concert at a college here on April 25, when an audience member asked him to sing a Kannada song, Nigam reportedly responded, "Kannada. Kannada. This is the reason behind the incident in Pahalgam."
The terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 left 26 people dead, including two from Karnataka.
An FIR was registered against the singer at the Avalahalli police station on May 3 for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Kannadigas.
KFCC president M Narasimhulu told reporters that the non-cooperation campaign would continue until Nigam tenders an unconditional apology to the people of Karnataka.
"There will be non-cooperation with Nigam across Karnataka. It’s just like a ban. He should apologise to the people of Karnataka," he said.
When asked if he had tried to reach out to Nigam before taking this step, Narasimhulu said he had attempted to contact him, but received no response as the singer's phone was switched off.
Dharma Vish, general secretary of the Karnataka Film Musicians’ Association, said, "Nigam is one of the finest talents India and Kannada have seen. The controversy is not about his talent but about his comment, which deeply hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. Comparing people from a state to terrorists is extremely damaging."
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Narayana Gowda faction of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike convener T A Narayana Gowda alleged that Nigam had "displayed madness" during the programme.
"He has sung hundreds of songs in Kannada films, so his fans merely requested a Kannada song. He could have sung it, declined, or remained silent. There was no pressure on him. Linking the request to the Pahalgam terror strike was completely uncalled for," he said.
Bengaluru Rural district Superintendent of Police C K Baba said the police will intensify the investigation.
He confirmed that a notice had already been issued to the singer, asking him to appear before the investigating officer next week.
"During the show, when some people in the audience requested Kannada songs, Nigam made an objectionable statement. So, we registered a case at the Avalahalli police station. The matter is under investigation, and considering the seriousness of the issue, the inspector is handling it. The case relates to hurting the sentiments of Kannadigas," Baba said.
He reiterated that a notice has been served, and once Nigam appears, the investigation will proceed to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.
Explaining further, Baba said a large crowd had gathered for the concert where Nigam performed.
"There was no correlation between the request for a Kannada song and the incident in Kashmir. Yet, he made a statement along those lines, which hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. Hence, we registered a case. We will soon summon him," Baba added.
He also confirmed that video evidence of the incident is available.
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UT with dual power structure 'worst form of govt', says Omar Abdullah
Srinagar (PTI): Terming the current administrative structure in Jammu and Kashmir the “worst form of government”, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for an urgent shift toward full statehood while acknowledging that significant progress has been made in narrowing differences with the Centre over the transaction of business rules.
The chief minister also hit out at vested interests making efforts to create a political wedge between Jammu and Srinagar, saying “they have failed and they will continue to fail”, and highlighted the restoration of the traditional biannual shift of the capital known as ‘Darbar Move’ as a vital bridge in narrowing the emotional divide between the two regions.
Speaking with PTI, Abdullah argued that the logic behind treating a territory with 90 elected legislators on par with smaller regions like Puducherry, which has only 30, remains incomprehensible, and reiterated his earlier stand that a dual power system where two power structures exist is a "recipe for disaster”.
“Can you not see the difference between a tiny one with 30 MLAs and one with 90 MLAs? And you still believe that this current system is beneficial to Jammu and Kashmir after everything that happened last year?” the chief minister asked while referring to the Pahalgham tragedy, pointing out that keeping elected representatives out of the law and order situation was doing no good.
He specifically noted that the size and scale of Jammu and Kashmir demand a governance model where the elected representatives are fully responsible for administration.
“I continue to maintain that view. I continue to believe that a system of Union territory with an assembly is by far the worst form of government that you can come up with,” Abdullah told PTI here recently.
The chief minister highlighted that several key institutions, including universities, the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Power Development Corporation, should have automatically come under the domain of the elected government.
“I am not even arguing on the central services, law and order, and police. As a Union territory, those are automatically within the domain of the unelected government. But these were institutions that were previously the responsibility of the elected government. And they should be,” Abdullah said.
Despite these friction points, Abdullah expressed optimism, stating that his government and the Government of India are close to reaching an agreement on the rules of business and that a formal proposal for the appointment of a new advocate general has finally been dispatched to the appropriate authorities.
“Again, as I said, we have made significant progress on these issues,” he said.
On the long-standing issue of summary dismissals of government employees without judicial inquiry, Abdullah described the process as arbitrary, opaque and unlikely to withstand judicial scrutiny.
This practice did not originate with the current lieutenant governor's administration but was initiated during the previous BJP-PDP coalition government, he said.
“Look, everyone has the right to prove their innocence. For some reason, these employees were not given that opportunity. And I have no doubt that going ahead, many of these people will return to government service on the back of relief from the court.
“We will not be able to defend the dismissal of these employees in the courts. It will happen, you mark my words, because the process is arbitrary. The process is opaque. There is no clarity and transparency in the process. Ultimately, we will not be able to bear up to judicial scrutiny," he said.
Referring to the promises made by his party, the National Conference, Abdullah detailed the operationalisation of his poll promises, including 200 units of free electricity and six free cooking gas cylinders for the poorest households, underlining that power subsidy is being provided to the poorest of the poor.
He argued that anyone above the poverty line should pay market rates for electricity to ensure that state resources are prioritised for the most vulnerable.
“Rich people shouldn't even be getting subsidised electricity. If I could, though obviously I can't do it in a single stroke, I would like to remove subsidised electricity from all these rich people.
“Anybody above BPL (Below Poverty Line) should not be paying subsidised rates for electricity. They should pay the market rate,” he said.
Beyond direct welfare, Abdullah highlighted the restoration of the ‘Darbar Move’ and the introduction of free education and bus travel for women as key milestones in his 20-month-old administration.
Speaking on the composite culture of J-K, Abdullah said the traditional biannual shift of the capital has allowed a new generation of employees from Jammu, who had never worked in the Valley before, to bond with their Kashmiri counterparts.
“The distance between Jammu and Kashmir has reduced to a great extent,” Abdullah said, adding that the two regions historically come together during times of adversity, whether after natural disasters or security crises.
Replying to a query on Kashmiri Pandits who migrated to various camps in Jammu, Abdullah said the question needs to be asked of the BJP as to why they are still in camps.
“Please ask the BJP how many more elections do they want to exploit their (Kashmiri Pandits’) votes before actually doing something to bring them back,” Abdullah said.
Terming the migration “deeply unfortunate”, Abdullah said, “We want those who left in the late 80s, early 90s, to come back. I have always maintained that they left because their sense of security was snatched away. They will come back only when that sense of security is restored. And we have not been able to do that so far.”
Crediting former prime minister Manmohan Singh for building the Jagti township in Jammu for migrants and creating a job quota for them, Abdullah said that nothing more has been done for the community since then.
To a question on dynastic politics following the recent defeat of M K Stalin in Tamil Nadu, Abdullah dismissed the idea that the defeat of established leaders is a verdict on their lineage, and argued that belonging to a political family only "opens a door" but does not guarantee a seat at the table.
“What keeps it open is your own performance,” Abdullah said, pointing out that even non-dynastic leaders like Mamata Banerjee faced electoral setbacks.
He also dismissed rumours of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle in J-K as “absolute lies”.
