Singer Sonu Nigam wrote a long letter immediately after being banned from Kannada

Singer Sonu Nigam has been temporarily banned from the Kannada film industry for his comments that hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. Soon after the decision, he posted a new post on social media and refused to apologise. The incident took place on April 25 during a concert at East Point College in Bengaluru. When the audience insisted on listening to the Kannada song, Sonu Nigam wrote, "Kannada... Kannada... This is the reason why the Pahalgam attack took place," he said. The statement went viral on social media and triggered outrage among Kannadigas. In response to this statement, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike president Dharmaraj lodged an FIR against Sonu Nigam at Avalahalli police station. Earlier, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) had announced a ban on Sonu Nigam and decided not to participate in any Kannada film events until he tenders a public apology. In his latest post, Sonu Nigam said, "I am 51 years old, I am not old enough to tolerate humiliation." He expressed anger over the behaviour of the youths who threatened him. "I have love for Kannada language, culture and people. But, I will not tolerate hatred in the name of any language," he said. The incident is likely to affect Sonu Nigam's career. He has sung songs for many Kannada films including 'Mugaru Male', 'Milana', 'Gaalipata' and many others in the past. Against this backdrop, it will be interesting to see how he re-establishes his relationship with Kannada cinema in the coming days. In his post, Sonu Nigam said, "I have full respect and faith in the legal system and police department of Karnataka. I will give all the cooperation that can be expected of me." He, however, did not give any clarification on his apology. In this context, it remains to be seen how the response of Kannada film industry and Kannadigas will be in the coming days.