Singer Mika Singh has demanded an apology from Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Unyal after his brother Daler Mehndi was abused on stage during a cultural event in the state.

The incident took place on Sunday night at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri tourism and development fair in New Tehri, where the minister questioned Daler’s conduct and alleged that he was under the influence of drugs.

The incident sparked a debate on social media, with several celebrities lending their support to Daler.

Mika had earlier defended his brother saying that the singer does not drink alcohol. He has now asked the minister to apologize for the allegations and the manner in which Daler was publicly addressed.

Mika Singh says that Daler Mehndi deserves an apology

On Wednesday, Mika took to Instagram to thank the singers, celebrities, friends and fans who stood by Darer after the incident. Reiterating his stand on the allegations, he wrote, “Hello everyone! Thank you so much to all the singers, fans, friends, family and well-wishers from Bollywood to Punjab for your love and support. My point is simple: Daler Mehndi ji does not drink alcohol, and it is completely wrong to make such allegations against him.

He also questioned the minister’s decision to rebuke an established artist in front of an audience and demanded an apology. Mika wrote, “If a teacher reprimands a child in a school or college today, it becomes a big issue. So, how justified is it to reprimand and humiliate such a renowned artiste in front of everyone on stage? I believe an apology is due. The person responsible should accept that the allegations of Darer Mehndi ji’s drinking were wrong and the way the cabinet minister was treated. @SubodhUniyal1 Daler Thank you all for standing with mehndi.”

Mika had earlier challenged anyone to prove that Daler drank alcohol, and claimed that he would quit singing if such allegations could be made.

Why did Subodh Unyal scold Daler Mehndi?

Darer Mehndi was performing at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri tourism and development fair on Sunday night when Subodh Unyal stopped him and criticized his behavior on stage.

During the exchange, the minister was heard saying to the singer, “You can’t even speak, so how are you going to sing?” The comments, which suggested that Darer was intoxicated, were captured in a video that later went viral on social media.

Following the backlash, Unyal spoke to ANI and explained his reasons for confronting the singer publicly. Acknowledging Daler’s stature as an artiste, the minister said he was unhappy with the performance and believed the singer had not done justice to his art.

“He is a big artiste. If a big artiste doesn’t do justice to his art… He looked uncomfortable on stage and was not even able to stand. Besides, he was lip-syncing to his songs. I told him that he is a big artiste and he should do justice to his art; he was offered Rs 35 lakh to come, but I refused to sing.”

The minister’s clarification added another dimension to the controversy, which has since drawn reactions from several members of the entertainment industry.

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Actor Anupam Kher also expressed his support for Darer and described the minister’s anger as unjust. He said that the singer was not doing well for the last two-three years but despite this he honored his professional commitments by performing at the event.

Several other celebrities including Rajpal Yadav, Badshah and Kapil Sharma also came out in support of Daler on social media.