Three weeks after a stage confrontation at a Navratri fair in Uttarakhand turned into a nationwide debate, Punjabi music legend Daler Mehndi has broken his silence. He has done it without answering his critic.
In a long Diwali note on Instagram, the singer thanked his family, his fans and the entertainment industry for standing by him. "My brother Mika stood up for me like a force to reckon with," he wrote. He also acknowledged his wife Taran, Gurdeep, and his daughters Rabab, Ajit and Prabhjot, and described the support as a "Saropao of love, faith and respect." The note does not name Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal or respond to his allegations.
The row began on October 18, when Uniyal, also the local MLA, walked onto the stage during Mehndi's performance at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri. A video of the exchange spread the next day, with the minister heard saying, "Bola toh jaa nahi raha, gaana kya gaoge." He later told ANI that the singer had lip-synced despite being paid Rs 35 lakh. Uniyal also alleged that Mehndi had been drinking, a claim that has not been independently established.
Mika leads the defence, industry follows
Mika Singh quickly emerged as his brother's strongest defender. In an Instagram video, he denied that Mehndi drinks and said he would quit singing if anyone could prove otherwise. On X, he tagged the minister, questioned the reported Rs 35 lakh payment and said an apology was due.
Support soon poured in from film and music circles. Kapil Sharma reshared Mika's video and extended his support. Anupam Kher said he does not associate Mehndi with alcohol and that any concern should have been raised privately. Badshah called the public humiliation disheartening, while Harshdeep Kaur said Mehndi had seemed very unwell that day. Rajpal Yadav, Mehndi's co-star in "Welcome To The Jungle", objected to the minister's "inauspicious words", and Vir Das, Shaan, Palash Sen, Gurdas Maan and Alisha Chinai also spoke up for the singer.
The most notable counterpoint came from Sona Mohapatra. Recalling a Delhi performance by Mehndi that had left her disappointed, she did not endorse public humiliation but argued that artists must be accountable to paying audiences. Her remarks widened the conversation beyond one viral clip, to whether an artist's dignity and an audience's expectations can both be protected.
An apology both sides dispute
The controversy took another turn in late October. Mika said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had spoken with both brothers and conveyed an apology on the minister's behalf, and his team said Uniyal had apologised over a phone call. Uniyal rejected that version in a YouTube interview, asking, "Ye batao, maine koi apradh kiya hai jo maafi maangu?" He argued that if Mehndi was unwell, he should have skipped the show or informed the organisers and the audience. In the same interview, he referred to a fee of Rs 26 lakh, different from the Rs 35 lakh figure cited earlier.
Against that stalemate, Mehndi's note reads less like closure and more like a decision to step away from the fight. Reflecting on how artists are often celebrated "when they are no longer there to hear it", he said he felt fortunate to witness such love in his lifetime.
The larger question remains open. Publicly attended shows do come with expectations, but the Kunjapuri episode has become a test of how those expectations should be enforced, and by whom. Mehndi has said his thank-you. The minister maintains he has nothing to apologise for.
Daler Mehndi's statement is based on a post shared on his official Instagram account.
