Bengaluru, Oct 14 Karnataka Rakshana Vedike convener T A Narayana Gowda has urged Bengaluru Police Commissioner to deny permission for singer Sonu Nigam’s concert in the city on October 24, alleging that the singer had insulted Kannadigas by comparing their linguistic pride with the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a letter to the Police Commissioner dated October 14, Gowda said the singer’s alleged remarks during a musical programme at a college in Bengaluru in April 2025 had hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas when the audience requested him for a Kannada song.
Gowda said requesting a Kannada song was not a crime.
The letter said T A Dharmaraj, president of the Vedike’s Bengaluru Urban District unit, had lodged a complaint at Avalahalli Police Station on May 2, 2025, seeking legal action over the remarks.
According to the letter, Nigam is scheduled to perform at “The Revolution India Tour” at Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru on Thanisandra Main Road at 7 pm on October 24.
Warning that granting permission could intensify public anger and lead to large-scale protests, Gowda urged the police to consider the potential implications for public peace and law and order.
“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.
He said the organisation would launch an agitation if the concert proceeded, adding that no artist’s programme was more important than the self-respect of Kannadigas.
The Vedike urged the authorities to take an early decision on its representation and inform it in writing about the action taken.
(PTI News)
