Uttarakhand cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal on October 18 publicly censured singer Daler Mehndi for performing while he was allegedly drunk. Mehndi’s performance at the annual Kunjapuri Fair in Tehri Garhwal was expected to be the high point of the fair.
After struggling through one or two songs, spectators noticed that the lead vocals were being dubbed over tracks while Daler Mehndi struggled to articulate clearly on the microphone. As the crowd grew agitated over what they perceived to be fake singing, the atmosphere turned sour. The organisers claimed that the singer’s team attributed his poor vocal delivery to ill-health, maintaining that Daler chose to go on stage despite feeling unwell. They also said, Daler was a last-minute replacement.