In a concerted bid to quell the expanding political and cultural fallout surrounding an altercation between a state cabinet member and a prominent musician, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directly reached out to veteran singer Daler Mehndi over the phone to inquire about his health and review the recent public incident. The controversy erupted following an on-stage confrontation involving state cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal during a festival performance, which quickly went viral across digital platforms and provoked sharp criticism from the artistic community. Seeking to de-escalate the controversy, the Chief Minister underscored the necessity of moving past the episode through mutual dialogue, harmony, and goodwill, signaling his administration's desire to rebuild relations with performing artists.
The telephonic conversation with Mehndi follows an earlier outreach effort conducted by Dhami just a day prior, when he initiated contact with Mehndi’s younger brother, popular playback artist Mika Singh. Despite expressing admiration for the Chief Minister's humble character and respectful approach, Mika Singh remained steadfast in his demand for institutional accountability, making it clear that a direct, public apology from Subodh Uniyal is indispensable for resolving the dispute. Mika maintained that an administrative overture by the head of government cannot substitute for an acknowledgment of wrongdoing from the cabinet minister who made the derogatory public statements from the event stage.
The friction originated on the night of October 18 during the festive celebrations of the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair held in Narendra Nagar, located within the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. While Daler Mehndi was actively entertaining the assembled audience as part of the cultural events celebrating Navratri, cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal stepped forward onto the stage, interrupted the ongoing musical presentation, and publicly admonished the seasoned performer. Uniyal openly scrutinized Mehndi's physical state and accused him of being intoxicated, triggering immediate confusion across the venue and drawing swift backlash once clips of the verbal barrage circulated across social media.
In the immediate wake of the widely shared video clips, Mika Singh stepped in to defend his older brother's integrity, explaining that Mehndi does not consume alcohol and was enduring significant physical illness and exhaustion at the time of the performance. He emphasized that performing on stage despite feeling unwell was an effort to honor professional obligations and entertain the gathered crowd, rather than a sign of unprofessional behavior. Calling for common decency in public life, Mika suggested that Uniyal could address the hurt caused by issuing a clear video statement offering an apology, asserting that such a modest act would protect Mehndi's lifelong professional dignity and draw a clean line under the unfortunate sequence of events.
The controversy gained renewed intensity on Friday when Mika posted another video snippet on his social media handles, highlighting further comments allegedly made by the minister during the stage altercation. According to the clip and transcripts shared by the singer, Uniyal referenced previous physical violence against another performer, stating from the microphone that Punjabi artist Maninder Buttar had previously been beaten at the venue so severely that he would never dare return. Mika questioned whether such aggressive, threatening language should ever be tolerated from an elected official holding public office.
Mika voiced profound distress over the treatment meted out to creative professionals, asserting that artists travel long distances to spread joy, uphold contractual agreements, and celebrate regional traditions. He argued that subjecting visiting performers to public humiliation from an official podium damages Uttarakhand's cultural standing and risks discouraging leading entertainers from participating in state-sponsored festivals. Reminding Uniyal that the authority of public office originates from the people and demands humility and responsibility, Mika expressed deep affection for the state while urging the political leadership to reflect on the impact of their conduct and handle the situation with the maturity expected of government representatives.