Sonu Nigam apologises to Kannadigas over Pahalgam remark as KRV calls off protest

Playback singer Sonu Nigam has apologised to Kannadigas in a video message, and the pro-Kannada organisation Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) has called off its protest against him. The controversy dates back to a concert in Bengaluru in April 2025, and the apology comes days before his scheduled show in the city on 24 October 2026, according to The Indian Express.

What the KRV said

The Indian Express reports that the KRV had urged Bengaluru Police to deny permission for the 24 October concert. The singer then spoke to TA Narayana Gowda, the group's state president. On Monday 19 October 2026, Gowda posted on X that Nigam had understood how an earlier statement had hurt Kannadigas and had sought forgiveness.

"We all have loved Sonu Nigam's songs. We had no personal hatred or grudge against him. We just couldn't digest that one statement."

That is the English text of Gowda's post as published by The Indian Express. Gowda added that forgiving those who ask for forgiveness was the "generosity and culture of Kannadigas" and that it was good to end the matter there. Part of the post, in Kannada, said the KRV would stop its campaign. It also expressed the hope that Nigam would sing more Kannada songs and perform in Karnataka.

The apology

In the video, which Gowda shared, Nigam addressed his audience as his "Karnataka family". He said: "My truth is known to me, my Almighty, my Bhagwan, and to all the people who were there in the audience that eventful evening." He described the conversation with Gowda as warm and respectful.

He then said: "When you love someone, and you want the relationship to stay, you don't mind saying sorry 1000 times. So my dear family, if anything I've said inadvertently that has hurt you, I am so sorry for it." He added that audiences in Karnataka had given him love and respect over 30 years and that he did not want "any kind of little misunderstanding" to taint that relationship.

How the dispute began

The row goes back to a concert at East Point College of Engineering in Bengaluru on 25 April 2025. The Indian Express says Nigam paused the show to address a student who had allegedly demanded a Kannada song rudely. The newspaper quotes him as saying: "A boy, who is not even as old as my career, is rudely threatening me to sing in Kannada." It also quotes him linking the incident to the Pahalgam terror attack. Those remarks are reported as allegedly made, and EILISH has not independently verified them.

The remarks drew widespread backlash, according to The Indian Express. Nigam subsequently issued a clarification and an earlier apology to the people of Karnataka. The latest apology follows that earlier one, and the report does not say whether the 24 October concert will go ahead as planned.

This report draws on reporting by indianexpress.com.