Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has asked Bengaluru police to scrap a Sonu Nigam event.
The singer's 2025 comments are the centre of the backlash.
The outfit has threatened protests across the state if the event were to proceed.
Bengaluru Police Urged to Scrap Sonu Nigam Event Amid Regional Pride Row
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada organisation, has called on Bengaluru police commissioner to prevent a Sonu Nigam event
Summary
Advocacy group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) has petitioned top Bengaluru law enforcement to revoke authorization for an upcoming performance by singer Sonu Nigam on October 24. Pointing to contentious comments the artist delivered at a local venue last year regarding Kannadigas, the regional outfit threatened to unleash demonstrations across the state should the show proceed.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike's Letter
Through an official missive dated October 14, group leader T.A. Narayanagowda argued that comments made by the vocalist during an April 2025 Bengaluru concert profoundly offended the local populace.
The backlash ignited after the artist allegedly equated persistent calls from the crowd for a regional number to the Pahalgam terrorist strike, unleashing massive public disapproval. Although law enforcement at the Avalahalli station filed a formal complaint against him, state authorities informed the Karnataka High Court that immunity from harsh legal measures would remain intact provided he assists with ongoing inquiries.
“If permission is granted for Sonu Nigam’s concert, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike will be compelled to organise intense protests across the state,” he said in the letter.
The incident took place in April 2025, when Sonu Nigam performed at East Point College in Bengaluru. An audience member asked him to sing in Kannada. Irked by the request, the singer responded: “The best songs I have sung are in Kannada... I didn’t like it when a boy asked me to sing in Kannada. He was so rudely threatening, ‘Kannada, Kannada.’ This is the reason for the Pahalgam attack.”
This unleashed a cavalcade of backlash. Sonu Nigam is scheduled to perform as part of “The Revolution India Tour” at Bhartiya Mall in Bengaluru on the Thanisandra Main Road at 7 pm on October 24. He has yet to respond to the latest controversy.
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