DEHRADUN, October 24 (Aalimi Nation) – A video of Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal confronting singer Daler Mehndi on stage has set off a political row in the state, with the Congress and Mehndi's brother, singer Mika Singh, demanding an apology and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami urging that the matter be put to rest.

The exchange took place during Mehndi's performance at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri town. Uniyal walked up to the stage and loudly asked the singer whether he was drunk. The video went viral, and several veteran artists condemned the act.

Uniyal later explained that Mehndi should have informed the organisers in advance that he was unwell and should not have come to perform. Dhami said the minister had told him he was unaware that the singer was unwell.

Mika Singh said Uniyal must apologise to Mehndi for reprimanding him in public and that artists deserve dignity and respect. He said Uniyal should be grateful that Mehndi agreed to perform after another artist, Sunanda Sharma, fell ill. He also said people believed the minister had been wrong in the way he treated the singer, according to his statement.

In a later appeal, Mika Singh said the family wanted the controversy closed after a call from the chief minister, but still wanted a short video in which the minister clarifies his remarks and apologises. He added that Mehndi had asked him to drop the issue.

Amarjit Singh, general secretary of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee, criticised the minister for suggesting the singer was intoxicated without any medical verification and demanded a public apology.

Dhami said on October 22 that he had spoken to Mika Singh and would speak to Mehndi, whom he described as a good friend. He said the minister must have been under pressure from the public at that time. "Uttarakhand is a land of artists, where everyone is treated with respect," he said, adding that the matter should be put to rest.

In a later post on social media, Dhami wrote that art, culture and artists have always been welcomed and honoured in the state.

A political analyst quoted in a report said the row was unlikely to have a major political impact. The opposition has nonetheless pressed the issue, and the state government has so far not announced any action against the minister.

As of the latest reports, no public apology from Uniyal had been recorded, and Mehndi himself had not commented publicly on the row. The government has not said whether it will take up the matter further. Whether the minister chooses to issue the clarification sought by the singer's family may decide if the controversy fades or continues in the days ahead.