Dehradun, Oct 23 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday spoke to Daler Mehndi and said his government’s endeavour is to leave the recent “sequence of events behind” and move forward in a spirit of mutual dialogue, harmony and positivity.
He also said art, culture and artistes have always been welcomed and respected in Uttarakhand.
His remarks come in the backdrop of his cabinet colleague Subodh Uniyal publicly reprimanding Mehndi on stage when the veteran singer was performing on Sunday. Following this, there have been demands for an apology from Uniyal and Dhami’s intervention into the matter.
During their conversation on Friday, Dhami said he addressed the controversy related to the artiste.
“I spoke with the renowned singer, Daler Mehndi, over the phone to inquire about his well-being. During the conversation, we also discussed the recent sequence of events,” Dhami posted on X.
“The land of Uttarakhand – ‘Devbhoomi’ – upholds the rich tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. Our folk culture, warm hospitality, and spirit of harmony define the unique identity of Devbhoomi. Art, culture, and artists have always been welcomed and respected here. Our endeavour is to move past this sequence of events and move forward in a spirit of mutual dialogue, harmony, and positivity,” he said.
Dhami had spoken to Mehndi’s brother Mika on Thursday.
On Sunday night, Uniyal got onto the stage and expressed displeasure when Mehndi was performing during ‘Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair’, a cultural event organised by the Uttarakhand government at Narendra Nagar in New Tehri area.
In a video of the incident that went viral on social media, Uniyal is heard asking Mehndi if he was drunk as he was not able to speak properly.
The 59-year-old singer, known for hits such as “Tunak Tunak Tun”, “Bolo Ta Ra” and “Ho Jayegi Balle Balle”, was heard saying “sorry”.
After the video went viral, support poured in for Mehndi.
Facing flak, Uniyal said the artiste should have informed in advance that he was unwell and should not have come to perform. He said the singer was only lip-syncing while the music played in the background, and as a public representative associated with the event’s organising committee, he came under pressure from people who wanted this to be questioned.
On Friday, Mika told PTI that his brother has thanked fans for their support.
“Daler ji is happy because the first call I got was from Dhami sahab and he spoke very well to me. He was very polite. He said, ‘the whole of Uttarakhand is not like this. People here are good and we all love you. And we all love artists. You should come to Uttarakhand soon. We will treat you with respect. And whatever has happened, it should not happen like this. And we all apologize,” Mika said.
In a press conference earlier, Mika said he was very scared when he put out the first video criticising the treatment meted out to his brother by the minister.
“…This concerned my own brother. I will request you all to pray that his health is better and he soon performs in front of you all,” Mika told reporters.
The singer said Mehndi was performing there as a guest and what the minister said impacted his image. Mika also said his brother now wants to end the matter.
“You (the minister) made him into a drunkard. People across the world are writing that he was drunk and couldn’t even speak… The minister is senior to me so I will just say that whenever you call somebody to your city, support them,” he added.
(PTI News)
