Uttarakhand minister Subodh Uniyal has said he would rather resign than apologise in the Daler Mehndi row, claiming the party high command had asked him to say sorry. The controversy erupted after Uniyal confronted the singer during a performance at a fair in New Tehri on October 18.Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal (L), Daler Mehndi (R)Dehradun,Nov 3, 2026 22:09 ISTUttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal has drawn a line over the Daler Mehndi controversy, saying he would give up his ministerial position rather than apologise, as he placed self-respect above office.Addressing the audience from the stage at the 35th All India GV Mavlankar Shooting Championship 2026 (Pistol Events), held at the Trishul Shooting Range at Maharana Pratap Sports College in Raipur, Dehradun, he said the party high command had asked him to apologise.He claimed he had responded that he would prefer to resign rather than apologise, once again bringing the weeks-old controversy back into focus.The controversy erupted on October 18, during the Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri, Tehri district.

Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi was performing at the event when Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal walked onto the stage and objected to the way he was singing.The minister accused Mehndi of being under the influence of alcohol and lip-syncing instead of singing live. He also said that Rs 35 lakh had been paid for the performance.

Uniyal was also accused of using abusive language against the father of Punjabi singer Maninder Buttar. A video of the heated exchange on stage subsequently went viral on social media.

Mika Singh, Daler Mehndi's brother, expressed displeasure over the minister's remarks and demanded an apology. Several celebrities, including Anupam Kher, Kapil Sharma and Badshah, also came out in support of the singer.Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami subsequently spoke to Daler Mehndi and Mika Singh in an attempt to resolve the controversy.

Mika Singh claimed that the Chief Minister had apologised on the minister's behalf.On October 27, Subodh Uniyal dismissed reports that he had apologised. He said he had done nothing wrong and, therefore, there was no question of apologising.

Meanwhile, Maninder Buttar also issued a statement criticising the minister.- Ends