Singer Mika Singh has come out strongly in support of his elder brother, Daler Mehndi, after an Uttarakhand minister accused the veteran singer of being drunk and lip-syncing on stage. Mika is demanding a public apology and has challenged the minister to make public the payment receipts behind a Rs 35 lakh fee claim.
The row began on Sunday night, October 18, at the Maa Kunjapuri Mela, a cultural event organised by the state government at Narendra Nagar in Tehri Garhwal. Cabinet Minister and local MLA Subodh Uniyal walked onto the stage while Mehndi was performing and asked him to stop. A video of the confrontation went viral. In the clip, Mehndi is seen remaining polite.
Uniyal later told a news agency that Mehndi appeared disoriented, could barely stand and was only lip-syncing. He also claimed the singer had been paid Rs 35 lakh for the show. On Wednesday, the minister reportedly said Mehndi should have told the organisers in advance if he was unwell. He said he did not use foul language, that he was under pressure as a member of the organising committee, and that he later learned the singer was unable to talk because of illness.
Mika responded on social media on October 21. He thanked singers from Bollywood to Punjab, fans and well-wishers for standing with his brother, and said Mehndi does not drink alcohol and that the allegation was completely wrong. He added that an apology was due, and that the person responsible should admit the claims were wrong and apologise for the way the singer was treated. In another post, he tagged the minister and asked him to show the payment receipts for the Rs 35 lakh claim.
Mika also revealed that Mehndi has been unwell for the past two years and recently underwent a major operation. Several public figures, including comedian Kapil Sharma and rapper Badshah, shared messages of support online.
At the time of these reports, Mehndi, 59, had not issued a detailed public statement himself. He is best known for pop hits such as “Bolo Ta Ra Ra” and “Tunak Tunak Tun,” which made him one of India’s biggest Punjabi pop stars of the 1990s.
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