Lucknow: Popular Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore hit out after being served a notice by Uttar Pradesh police for a satirical song which taunted the Yogi Adityanath government for its eviction drive.
A mother and daughter lost their lives during an eviction drive in Kanpur last week.
The singer, known for her viral song ‘UP Mein Ka Ba’, recently uploaded a variation of that song in which she referred to 45-year-old Pramila Dixit and her 20-year-old daughter Neha, who died in their hut which was set on fire, allegedly by policemen.
Police officials went to Neha’s residence on Tuesday night and served her a notice alleging that her latest song has created a situation of “disharmony and tension” in society. She has been asked to respond to several questions about the song within three days.
“I am just a folk singer. This is intolerance. The idea is to scare away every voice of dissent or criticism,” Neha told NDTV.
“I will keep on singing. They had trolled me so much last time. Why should I stop now… I am not scared and I will not be intimidated at all. I will speak to my lawyers,” she added.
The singer has been asked to firstly confirm that she actually is the person seen in the video, and whether she wrote the lyrics and stood by them. Police have also asked whether she was aware of the “adverse impact” of the video on society.
“This song has created enmity and tension in society, and you are legally bound to make your stand clear on the issue. So, you are required to file your reply within three days of receiving the notice,” read UP Police’s notice, as reported by NDTV.
“If your reply is not found satisfactory, a case will be registered… and proper legal investigation will be carried out,” the notice added.
Neha’s ‘UP Mein Ka Ba’ had needled the Yogi government ahead of last year’s assembly elections. She has done satirical pieces on other politicians, including Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and ex-CM Lalu Yadav.
Opposition leader and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav blasted the state government.
Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also hit out at BJP.
“When the popular singer @nehafolksinger asked fearless questions, the BJP government sent a notice to her house through the hands of the police… Is BJP so scared of the voice of a folk singer? Embarrassing. This is very shameful,” Sisodia tweeted.
