Mika Singh says Daler Mehndi wants controversy closed after CM Dhami’s apology, does not want it dragged further

Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS) Singer Mika Singh has said that his brother Daler Mehndi does not want the Uttarakhand controversy to be dragged further following Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s apology on behalf of state minister Subodh Uniyal.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Mika said he has brought the Daler Mehndi controversy to a close after CM Dhami’s apology. He added that Daler called him on Friday morning and asked him not to let the matter be dragged further. He further said that CM Dhami has invited both brothers to Uttarakhand, and they would soon visit the state to perform. Talking about an artist’s responsibility towards the audience, Mika raised the question of whether a performer should take the stage when unwell, given their accountability to the people who come to watch them perform.

He also held a press conference, where he said, “Just this morning, I spoke with my elder brother, dear friend, and someone I hold in high regard, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami. Whenever I visit Dehradun, he meets me with great warmth and is extremely down-to-earth. The way he communicated with Daler Paaji and me was very polite and humble. He offered an apology on behalf of the Minister, and though I told him it wasn't necessary since he made no mistake.”

Mika added, “The problem is that this happened to my brother, who is completely innocent and did nothing wrong. What was I supposed to do—if I kept making video statements back-to-back, people would say this is all I do. However, I carefully thought it through and recorded a video at night, and when I called Paaji the next day, he broke down crying because he was emotional. On top of that, I can be quite straightforward and tend to scold him for agreeing to things, but before I could even say anything, he started crying like a child...”

He further mentioned, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the entire Bollywood industry, the people of Punjab, and all of Daler Paaji’s fans for the immense support shown after watching the video where he was scolded.”

“It felt very wrong to see Daler Paaji spoken to in that manner, as reprimanding someone publicly nowadays—whether at school or college—sparks widespread controversy. Even during my 23 years of struggle, no one ever scolded me like that, except once in my childhood at a wedding when I ate before the guests arrived, which was my mistake.”

For the unversed, Daler Mehndi’s performance at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in Uttarakhand became a subject of controversy after state minister Subodh Uniyal stopped his show midway. The minister alleged that Mehndi was under the influence of alcohol and lip-syncing during the religious Navratri event.

Following the incident, several personalities from the entertainment industry, including Mika Singh, Palash Sen, Kapil Sharma, Ila Arun, Anupam Kher, and Sudesh Lehri, voiced their support for Daler Mehndi.

--IANS

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