Mika Singh says it felt ‘very wrong’ to see Daler Mehndi scolded publicly, as CM Dhami apologises

New Delhi: Daler Mehndi wants the Uttarakhand row to stop here, according to his brother Mika Singh. Mika told IANS that Daler phoned him on Friday morning and asked him not to stretch the matter any further. From his side, Mika says, the controversy is now closed.

He credits the shift to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who apologised on behalf of state minister Subodh Uniyal. Dhami has also invited both singers to Uttarakhand, and Mika said they will go soon to perform.

Daler Mehndi Uttarakhand controversy

The dispute began at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair, where Daler was performing during Navratri. Uniyal stopped the show midway and alleged that the singer was drunk and lip-syncing.

Support for Daler came quickly from across the industry. Palash Sen, Kapil Sharma, Ila Arun, Anupam Kher and Sudesh Lehri backed him, and Mika spoke up as well.

Mika Singh on CM Dhami’s apology

At a press conference, Mika described his morning conversation with Dhami, whom he called an elder brother and dear friend. He said the chief minister is warm and easy to approach whenever they meet in Dehradun, and that his tone on the call was polite and humble. Mika told him the apology was unnecessary, as Dhami himself had done nothing wrong.

For Mika, the real issue is what happened to Daler. “The problem is that this happened to my brother, who is completely innocent and did nothing wrong,” he said. He recorded a video statement at night after thinking it over. When he called Daler the next day, the singer broke down in tears before Mika could say a word.

Mika thanked Bollywood, the people of Punjab and Daler’s fans for backing him after the video of the scolding circulated. “It felt very wrong to see Daler Paaji spoken to in that manner,” he said. He added that no one scolded him like that even in 23 years of struggle, apart from one childhood wedding where he ate before the guests did, which he admits was his own fault.

Mika also spoke about an artist’s duty to the audience. A performer, he said, owes something to the people who come to watch, and that raises a point about going on stage when unwell.