Amid ongoing tensions around linguistic pride and public service communication in Karnataka, playback singer Sonu Nigam has stepped right into the storm, this time, with sharp jabs at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. What began as a banking controversy has snowballed into a full-blown debate about regional identity, governance, and the double standards of language politics, now fuelled by one of Bollywood’s most recognisable voices.Nigam took to X to take a dig at Surya’s statement advocating for mandatory Kannada in public-facing sectors like banking. Reacting to the uproar caused by a viral video from Bengaluru of an SBI bank manager refusing to speak Kannada with a customer, Surya had tweeted, “Banks working in Karnataka should serve customers in Kannada. Period.”
Nigam responded with biting sarcasm, writing in Hindi which when translated to English read, “Kannada language should also be made mandatory in software companies. If American clients want to get their projects done in Karnataka, they should also speak in Kannada. There should be no compromise on this.”
Nigam responded with biting sarcasm, writing in Hindi which when translated to English read, “Kannada language should also be made mandatory in software companies. If American clients want to get their projects done in Karnataka, they should also speak in Kannada. There should be no compromise on this.”
The singer didn’t stop there. In another scathing tweet, he challenged Surya on his linguistic consistency, writing, “Don't dub Kannada movies in Hindi! Don't release Kannada movies pan-India! Do you have the guts to say this to Kannada film stars, Mr. Tejasvi_Surya, or are you just another language warrior?”
Nigam’s posts come just hours after Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah condemned the SBI incident and stressed that all bank staff should “treat customers with dignity and make every effort to speak in the local language.” Interestingly, Nigam’s remarks arrive at a time when his own standing in Karnataka is under fire. Sonu Nigam faced backlash after comments at an April 22 Bengaluru event allegedly hurt Kannadiga sentiments. A pro-Kannada group filed a complaint, leading to an FIR under multiple IPC Sections. On May 5, Nigam apologized publicly, saying, “Sorry Karnataka… My love is bigger than my ego.” Meanwhile, his upcoming Kannada song Kuladalli Keelyavudi has been pulled from its release after his behaviour at Bengaluru concert.
