Mumbai: A day after Daler Mehndi was allegedly reprimanded on stage by an Uttarakhand cabinet minister over claims that he had consumed alcohol before a performance, his brother Mika Singh came to his defence, declaring that he would quit singing if Daler was ever seen drinking alcohol.
Mika Singh took to Instagram to share a video message, hitting back at media reports alleging that Daler Mehndi had been reprimanded on stage over claims that he consumed alcohol before his performance.
The video was accompanied with a message stating, “If you ever see Daler Mehndi drinking alcohol, I’ll quit singing.”
“I saw the news. You people have spread this ‘Daler Mehndi was drunk while singing, he is unable to sing’ First of all, I would like to ask you all- he has been a superstar for the last 30 years. Have you ever seen a glass of alcohol in his hand, or seen alcohol flowing freely at his birthday parties?” Mika said.
“No, you have not. Jab aapne dekha hi nahi, toh aapne kaise keh diya unse khada nahi hua jaa raha. Hum artists kayin baar kisi ke kehne par haan kar dete hain ‘yes we will do the show’ Even if we have 104 degree fever, it doesn’t matter. If I am sick, and I have a show day after tomorrow, and I have already committed, then even if the budget is big or small, I will do it. Inhone (Daler) bhi aisa hi kiya hoga.” (No, you haven’t. If you haven’t seen it yourself, how can you say that he was unable to stand? As artists, we often agree to perform at someone’s request and say, ‘Yes, we will do the show.’ Even if we have a fever of 104 degrees, it doesn’t matter. If I am unwell and have a show the day after tomorrow, but have already committed to it, I will honour that commitment regardless of whether the budget is big or small. He (Daler Mehndi) must have done the same.”) he went on to add.
Mika captioned his post as, “Happy Dussehra, everyone! A special request to our media friends: Please verify the facts before publishing any news! If someone makes allegations without proof, please don’t believe them blindly or spread the news without checking the truth. The way Daler Mehndi was treated on stage was disappointing. A respected minister came on stage and made allegations about him drinking alcohol. But before publishing such claims, shouldn’t we verify the facts and give the artist a chance to present his side?.”
“Would anyone dare to behave like that with an international band like Coldplay? I know my brother Daler Mehndi, and he does not drink alcohol. He has been unwell for the past two years and is still recovering, yet he continues to perform with his band. These days, many performers use backing tracks, but nobody questions them in the same way.”
The singer added, “Daler Mehndi is one of India’s biggest superstars, and perhaps that is why he becomes an easy target. I request our media friends to be responsible and fair. A headline can damage someone’s reputation, so please check the facts before publishing anything. Respect our artists. Verify before you report. Stand by the truth.”
View this post on Instagram
Daler Mehndi was performing at the Kunjapuri Fair in Uttarakhand’s Tehri district on October 18, as part of the cultural celebrations marking Navratri.
The performance was interrupted when Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister and local MLA Subodh Uniyal reportedly stepped onto the stage and reprimanded the singer in front of the audience.
Uniyal allegedly accused Mehndi of consuming alcohol before performing at an event dedicated to Maa Durga and asked him to stop the show.
