Daler Mehndi row: Mika demands apology from MLA for 'insulting' his brother

Mika Singh took to social media as he demanded an apology from Subodh Uniyal for insulting Daler Mehndi in public.

After MLA Subodh Uniyal accused singer Daler Mehndi of performing in a drunk state, the singer's brother Mika Singh jumped in his defence and claimed that the veteran singer does not drink at all. On Wednesday, Mika took to X and demanded an apology from Subodh Uniyal as he thanked everyone who had shown their support for Daler Mehndi.

Mika shared on X, "Sat Sri Akal, everyone! 🙏❤️ Thank you so much to all the singers from Bollywood to Punjab, fans, friends, family, and well-wishers for your love and support. My point is simple: Daler Mehndi ji does not drink alcohol, and making such allegations against him is completely wrong." He then wrote, "If a teacher at a school or college scolds a student, then it turns into a big issue. Then how is it okay to insult an artiste of such calibre in this way?" Demanding an apology, Mika said, "I believe an apology is due. The person responsible should acknowledge that the allegations about Daler Mehndi ji drinking alcohol were wrong and apologise for the way he was treated." He also tagged Subodh Uniyal in this tweet.

He posted another update thanking the people of Uttarakhand and wrote, "Thank you, Uttarakhand, for standing with Daler Mehndi ji. ❤️🙏 Artists have always loved Uttarakhand, but if artists are disrespected by politicians, why would we come to perform there?" He then requested the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami "to look into the behaviour of" Subodh Uniyal "and take appropriate action."

Since Subodh had previously claimed that Daler Mehndi was paid Rs 35 lakh for the event, he asked the minister to present proof of payment. "Sir, you paid Rs 35 lakh in cash or cheque? If you have the receipts then please present them in public so people can know the truth. Thank you!"

What led to Daler Mehndi controversy?

On Sunday, Daler Mehndi was performing at the Kunjapuri Fair in Uttarakhand's Tehri district. His performance was a part of the cultural programme organised for Navratri celebration when in the middle of his performance, Subodh Uniyal got on the stage and accused Daler Mehndi of performing in a drunk state. "There is a Durga Mata programme for Navratri, and you are singing at the event after drinking alcohol, which is not appropriate," he said. "We called you so that our people could be entertained. You are making a fool of us. This is wrong. It's wrong. You were called because you have a big name. You can't even speak, how will you sing?" he added.

Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav support Daler Mehndi

Since the incident, many Bollywood celebrities have come out in support of the veteran singer. Anupam Kher shared a long message on social media where he said, "Daler Mehndi is not just an artist; he is a legend, and nobody has a right to humiliate him like this. Shame on the man for creating this drama."

Rajpal Yadav shared a video message where he said, "The way a respected minister spoke to a legendary singer, whose voice has served the country and the world for decades, was deeply disappointing. Using such condemnable words and setting an example of physical aggression does not suit an honourable minister."

Subodh Uniyal claims paying Rs 35 lakh to Daler Mehndi

In a chat with ANI, Uniyal said, "He is a big artiste. If a big artiste doesn't do justice to their art...He seemed disoriented on stage and didn't seem to be able to even keep standing. Besides this, he was only lip-syncing to his songs. I told him that he is a big artiste and he should do justice to his art; he had been offered Rs 35 lakh to come and perform, but he was not even singing. So, I expressed my resentment."

Daler Mehndi is yet to make a statement about this controversy.