Uttarakhand Minister Subodh Uniyal has defended his stance on the controversy surrounding Daler Mehndi’s alleged drunken performance. A day after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s comments, he said that the singer should have informed organisers if he was unwell.
Just when the internet thought the Daler Mehndi ‘drunk’ controversy was over, Uttarakhand Minister Subodh Uniyal has made a fresh statement on the singer’s alleged drunken performance. During a recent press conference, he defended his reaction and said he had not been informed about the singer’s health. Uniyal added that the organisers should have been told in advance or the singer should have cancelled the event. While acknowledging Daler’s stature in the music industry, he said that the audience deserved to know if the singer was unwell and unable to perform. When asked if he would apologise for his allegedly disrespectful behaviour, the politician walked away after saying, “Thik hai.”
Subodh Uniyal Defends His Remarks Amid Daler Mehndi ‘Drunk’ Row
During a press conference, Subodh Uniyal told reporters, “Dekhiye, humne toh shuruat bhi nahi ki thi. Yeh batayiye agar woh bade kalaakar naa hote toh unko bulaya kyun jata? Bade kalaakar naa hote toh kyun Rs 36 lakh ka offer kyun? Unki baat swikaar ki jaati? Bade kalaakar the lekin mera abhi bhi manna hai, ki bade kalaakaron ko (Look, we hadn’t even started yet. Tell me, if they weren’t renowned artists, why would they have been invited? If they weren’t big artists, why would they have been offered Rs 36 lakh? Would their demands have been accepted? They were renowned artists, but I still believe that established artists should…)”
He added, “Maine kaha na, agar kisi ka swasthya kharab hai toh do baatein hain – mana bhi kiya jaa sakta tha aur manch pe janta ko bhi kaha jaa sakta tha aur mujhe bhi bataya jaa sakta tha ki ‘Mera swasthya theek nahi hai, tabiyat theek nahi hai.’ Chehre pe toh kisike likha nahi hota ki meri tabyet kharab hai. Bataya bhi nahi gaya (I have already said that if someone is unwell, there are two options. They could have declined the offer, or they could have informed the audience on stage and told me as well that they weren’t feeling well. You can’t tell just by looking at someone’s face that they are unwell. We weren’t informed either).
VIDEO | Dehradun: “If he was unwell, he should have informed us or public. We accepted his fee of Rs 36 lakh considering his stature as a renowned artist,” says Uttarakhand minister Subodh Uniyal amid row over Daler Mehndi’s performance at Kunjapuri Fair.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/bIyFWTeOLF)
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 24, 2026
