Singer Sonu Nigam moves K'taka HC seeking quashing of criminal case over Kannada remark
Bengaluru, May 13 (PTI): Singer Sonu Nigam has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash a criminal case registered against him over alleged offensive remarks made about the Kannadigas during a recent concert in Bengaluru.
The petition was listed before the vacation bench of Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar, who deferred the matter for hearing on a later date.
The controversy stems from an incident that occurred on April 25 at a live concert held at an engineering college in Bengaluru.
During the performance, several members of the audience requested Nigam to sing in Kannada. Reports state that the singer declined the request and expressed displeasure at the manner in which it was made, accusing some attendees of being impolite. Although Nigam affirmed his respect and admiration for Kannadigas, he allegedly drew a controversial parallel by stating, “This is the reason Pahalgam happened,” referencing a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region.
The statement quickly gained traction on social media and sparked outrage.
On May 2, TA Dharmaraj, president of the Bangalore City District Unit of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda faction), lodged a complaint over the remark.
Based on this complaint, Avalahalli police registered a case on May 3 under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023—specifically Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352(1) (insult intended to provoke breach of peace), and 353 (statements likely to incite public mischief).
Following the backlash, Nigam issued public statements expressing regret and apologised for his comments. However, the legal proceedings have continued, prompting the singer to file the present plea for dismissal of the charges.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
