Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has joined the debate over controversial Uttarakhand concert of Daler Mehndi, and he appears to have picked a side. Throwing his weight behind BJP minister Subodh Uniyal, who had publicly questioned Daler’s live singing during a performance, Abhijeet said the minister had spoken the truth, even if the incident made him look like the villain.
Without naming either Daler or Uniyal, Abhijeet made his position clear during a performance at Chhattisgarh Rajyotsava 2026. A video of his address to the audience has since surfaced on social media.
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Abhijeet says BJP Minister was right
Speaking about the importance of genuine live performances, Abhijeet urged event organisers not to allow artists to pretend to sing when they were not actually using the microphone.
” A few days ago, there was an incident where a minister came onto the stage and spoke the truth. He said, ‘You are not singing. You can barely stand, and you are not really performing live.’ He spoke the truth. But he ended up becoming the villain in the eyes of many people. Yet this is something that happens on stages everywhere,” he told the audience.
His comments appeared to refer to the October confrontation between Daler Mehndi and Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal.
Abhijeet also made a personal promise to his audience, saying he would never pretend to sing, regardless of his physical condition or the quality of his voice.
‘Even if I sing badly, I will sing live’
The singer said that a strained voice, exhaustion or even an off-key performance would never make him resort to lip-syncing.
“No matter how I sing, whether I sing badly, whether my voice is strained, whether I get tired, or whether I sing off-key, whatever I do, I will sing live,” he said.
Abhijeet also acknowledged the work that goes into organising public performances. He pointed to the efforts of the administration, government departments and people working behind the scenes, saying their contribution deserved respect.
“That is the respect I owe you for giving me your time. You have spent your hard-earned money, invited me here, and made all these arrangements. Behind this event lies the hard work of the administration, the department and all of you. I bow to all of you and promise that I will never cheat you in this way. I will never simply move my lips in the name of singing. Some people do that, but I won’t,” he added.
What happened between Daler Mehndi and Subodh Uniyal?
The controversy began in October 2026 when Daler Mehndi was performing at a cultural event in Uttarakhand. Subodh Uniyal interrupted the singer on stage and questioned whether he was actually singing live.
The minister also criticised Daler’s condition and stage presence, suggesting that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
“You can’t even speak properly, how will you sing?” Uniyal said during the confrontation.
The incident triggered criticism from several members of the entertainment industry, who came out in support of Daler. His brother Mika Singh objected to the way the singer had been publicly confronted and said Daler was unwell at the time.
Mika also revealed that Daler had recently undergone major surgery. He further maintained that his brother had never touched alcohol in his life.
- Abhijeet Bhattacharya
- Daler Mehndi
- Subodh Uniyal
