Uttarakhand minister apologises to Daler Mehndi after on-stage row; Mika Singh welcomes move

New Delhi: Uttarakhand Minister Subodh Uniyal has apologised to singer Daler Mehndi over a phone call, days after triggering a controversy by interrupting the artiste during a stage performance and alleging that he was drunk, according to a statement issued by Mika Singh’s team.

The row erupted at the Kunjapuri Devi Mela in Tehri Garhwal on October 18, when Uniyal walked onto the stage and interrupted Mehndi mid-performance, claiming the singer was under the influence of alcohol. A video of the incident soon went viral, drawing criticism from several film and music personalities.

In the statement, Mika Singh’s team said it appreciated the minister’s apology and expressed hope that the matter would now be put to rest.

“We appreciate that Subodh Uniyal ji has apologised to Daler Mehndi paaji over a telephonic conversation regarding the unfortunate incident,” the statement said.

It added that respecting artistes and their dignity was extremely important, noting that Mehndi was a senior artiste who had made immense contributions to the music industry.

“Every artist deserves to be treated with respect. We hope this matter can now be put behind us and everyone can move forward with mutual respect and understanding,” the statement said.

Mika Singh had earlier strongly criticised Uniyal’s conduct, calling it rude and disrespectful. In a post on X, he said an artiste deserved dignity regardless of the circumstances and questioned whether such language was appropriate for a minister to use against performers.

He also challenged the minister to prove that Mehndi was drunk and demanded an apology. Singh said artistes come to perform, entertain people and honour their commitments, and should be treated with respect rather than humiliation on a public platform.

“Do you want artists to stop coming to Uttarakhand? Such an attitude can discourage artists from performing in a state that we all love,” he wrote, adding that public office came with responsibility, humility and accountability.

Several celebrities, including Anupam Kher, Kapil Sharma and Rajpal Yadav, came out in support of Mehndi, saying the singer did not consume alcohol and had been dealing with health issues.