New Delhi: Singer Mika Singh has called on Uttarakhand cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal to apologise to Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi for publicly reprimanding him and making what Mika described as false allegations during a performance in New Tehri.
The incident took place on Sunday evening at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair. Videos circulating on social media showed Uniyal walking onto the stage and loudly asking Mehndi whether he was drunk. The 59-year-old singer was heard saying “sorry” in the clips.
Mika, who defended his brother on Tuesday, said Mehndi does not drink alcohol and that the allegation was unfair. In a post on X, he also thanked singers and others from the film industry for expressing support for the veteran performer.
“Publicly reprimanding and humiliating such a renowned artist on stage is not justified,” Mika said, calling for the minister to acknowledge that the allegations about Mehndi drinking were wrong and apologise for his conduct.
In a follow-up post, Mika thanked the people of Uttarakhand for standing by Mehndi and questioned whether artists would want to perform in the state if politicians publicly humiliated them. He also urged chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to investigate Uniyal’s behaviour and take appropriate action, saying artists deserved respect and dignity.
The controversy intensified on Wednesday, with singers and the opposition Congress criticising the minister. Uniyal, however, stood by his remarks, claiming that Mehndi appeared to be under the influence of some substance and was merely lip-syncing rather than singing.
“I felt he was under the influence of some substances. What those substances did to him, I do not know,” Uniyal said, adding that the singer should have declined to perform if he was unwell.
The minister also claimed that Mehndi had charged ₹35 lakh for the performance. In response, Mika challenged Uniyal to produce evidence of the payment.
“Sir, did you pay ₹35 lakh in cash or by cheque? If you have payment receipts, please share them publicly so everyone can know the truth,” Mika wrote on X.
