Dehradun, Oct 21 Uttarakhand Congress on Wednesday demanded a public apology from cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal for humiliating renowned singer Daler Mehndi on stage during a performance in New Tehri.
In a statement, Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Amarjit Singh said the treatment meted out to the singer by Uniyal in public is deeply unfortunate and runs counter to Uttarakhand’s glorious tradition of hospitality.
Singh said it was highly inappropriate for Uniyal to allege “without any concrete verification that Daler Mehndi was under the influence of intoxicants” during the event.
He demanded that Uniyal issue a public apology for the entire episode and promise to “conduct himself in a manner befitting the dignity of his office” in future.
Uniyal on Wednesday said the artiste should have informed in advance that he was unwell.
“After inviting him, when it became apparent on stage that he was only lip-syncing and not singing, I, being a local representative there and also associated with the organising committee, felt the pressure from people who wanted this to be questioned,” he told PTI.
The controversy arose when Uniyal got onto the stage and expressed displeasure when Mehndi was performing during ‘Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair’, a cultural evening organised by the Uttarakhand government in Narendra Nagar on Sunday night.
A video of the incident went viral on Monday.
Singh said Mehndi travelled to Uttarakhand to fulfil his scheduled commitment despite undergoing a surgery recently.
“Humiliating an invited artist in front of thousands of people casts a shadow on the image of Uttarakhand, a state that upholds the ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava,” he said.
The Congress leader said the support extended to Mehndi by various artists and figures from the film industry underscores the gravity of this incident.
“Daler Mehndi’s family members and close associates have affirmed that he abstains from such substances. Despite having recently undergone a surgery, he travelled to Uttarakhand to fulfil his scheduled commitment. If the minister had any grievances regarding the performance, the matter could have been addressed through the event organisers. Making such allegations from a public platform, thereby damaging an artist’s reputation, is unbecoming of a responsible public representative,” said Singh.
Stating that Mehndi demonstrated “great dignity by maintaining composure and grace” during the incident, Singh questioned the silence of BJP leaders, including those from the Sikh-Punjabi community.
(PTI News)
