Daler Mehndi, journalists trade charges

Chandigarh, Oct 31 (IANS) Bhangra-pop singer Daler Mehndi's words were no music to the ears of mediapersons as he picked up a verbal duel with them here Wednesday evening over controversies surrounding him in recent years.

The singer seemed quite irritated by the media's handling of his image in the last three to four years and even singled out journalists to remark about how they were trying to run him down. He even made personal attacks on a couple of journalists.

The press conference soon turned into a free-for-all as the journalists and Mehndi traded charges till the singer left the venue in a huff.

The controversy was centred on the lyrics of one of his songs where he indirectly attacks the previous Congress regime in Punjab.

Mehndi was arrested by the Punjab police in October 2003, when Amarinder Singh of the Congress was chief minister, on charges of being involved in a multi-million immigration scam.

He was accused of accepting money from people for taking them abroad as members of his musical group and thus help them immigrate illegally. His brother Shamsher Singh was also arrested in the same case.

Mehndi, who is performing in Punjab these days in connection with the launch of a private Punjabi TV channel owned by a leading politician of the ruling Akali Dal, denied that the lyrics of his Punjabi song were targeted at Amarinder Singh or the Congress.

He had recently stated that he had penned the song while languishing in Patiala jail in 2003.

'I don't understand why the media hounds me everywhere. No one wants to write about my singing or the social work I have done for earthquake relief, Kargil heroes or tree plantation in Delhi. You just want to run me down,' Mehndi lamented.