Daler Mehndi's Tehri Show Stopped on Stage by Minister; Alcohol Claim Is His Allegation, Singer Yet to Respondਦਲੇਰ ਮਹਿੰਦੀ ਦਾ ਟਿਹਰੀ ਸ਼ੋਅ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਨੇ ਸਟੇਜ 'ਤੇ ਰੋਕਿਆ, ਸ਼ਰਾਬ ਵਾਲਾ ਦੋਸ਼ ਅਜੇ ਦੋਸ਼ ਹੀ ਹੈ

A Navratri performance by Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi in Uttarakhand ended in a public confrontation on Sunday after state cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal walked onto the stage and asked him to stop singing. The exchange, captured on video at the Kunjapuri Fair in Tehri district, has gone viral. At the centre of the row is an allegation by the minister, made on stage, that the singer had performed after drinking alcohol. That claim has not been independently verified, and Mehndi has not responded to it so far.

What happened at the Kunjapuri Fair?

Mehndi was performing at a cultural programme held as part of the Navratri celebrations at the Kunjapuri Fair, an important religious and cultural gathering in the region. Uniyal, who is also the MLA for Narendranagar, objected to the performance and came onto the stage. Standing next to the singer, he said the event was dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and that performing under the influence of alcohol was not appropriate, The Times of India reported. 'There is a Durga Mata programme for Navratri, and you are singing at the event after drinking alcohol, which is not appropriate,' the minister said. He added that the religious nature of the celebrations required performers to respect the occasion's dignity.

Uniyal also questioned the value the audience was getting. 'We called you so that our people could be entertained. You are making a fool of us,' he said. 'This is wrong. You have a big name; we should respect that. You were called because you have a big name.' In the clip, Mehndi is heard responding: 'Sir, I request you with folded hands... please leave the stage.'

What did the minister say afterwards?

Speaking to ANI on Sunday evening, Uniyal shifted the emphasis to the quality of the performance. He said the singer seemed disoriented on stage, appeared unable to keep standing, and was lip-syncing to his songs. 'He is a big artist. If a big artist doesn't do justice to their art... I told him that he is a big artist and he should do justice to his art; he had been offered Rs 35 lakh to come and perform, but he was not even singing. So, I expressed my resentment,' Uniyal said. Uttarakhand folk singer and Padma Shri awardee Pritam Bhartwan, commenting on the same performance, said he could not confirm whether Mehndi was under the influence of alcohol. Bhartwan added that a performer of Mehndi's stature should sing live rather than rely on a pre-recorded track, and that if the singer was unwell, he should have clarified it.

What is verified, and what is not

Three things are on the record: the minister stopped the performance on stage, the words he used are in a widely shared video, and he repeated his criticism of the performance to ANI afterwards. What is not established is the alcohol allegation itself. The Times of India, in its report, carried an explicit disclaimer that it had not independently verified whether the singer was under the influence of alcohol, and Bhartwan also declined to confirm it. As of the reports available on Monday, Mehndi had not issued a response. Jugti is reporting the minister's allegation as an allegation, and will update this story if the singer or the event organisers give their account.

Who stopped Daler Mehndi's Tehri performance?

Uttarakhand cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal, the MLA for Narendranagar, went on stage at the Kunjapuri Fair and asked the singer to stop during the Navratri programme.

Has it been verified that Mehndi had been drinking?

No. The claim is the minister's allegation, made on stage. The Times of India said it had not independently verified it, and folk singer Pritam Bhartwan said he could not confirm it.

Has Daler Mehndi responded?

Not as of Monday's reports. In the viral clip he is heard asking the minister, with folded hands, to leave the stage.