New Delhi: Diljit Dosanjh said that people should not teach Punjabis how to fight. Without naming anyone, he added that those choosing to remain silent should be allowed to do so. Responding to this, Abhijeet Dipke urged the singer to let the matter go and consider him a younger brother.
“I love all of you because I am an artist, bro. I am being quiet, so let me stay quiet. I support all of you. Punjabiyan nu na ladayi kida ladna,” Dosanjh said during his Aura Tour concert at Delhi’s JLN Stadium on Friday.
The controversy started earlier this year during an Instagram Live session, when Dosanjh was asked about his views on the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar. Dosanjh responded in Punjabi that he was unaware of any protest taking place there and urged fans to keep him away from such matters.
“What kind of protest is underway at Jantar Mantar?” he asked in Punjabi.
Calling himself “an artist”, Dosanjh added that he is not a politician.
In his Instagram post, Abhijeet Dipke said that he was a little hurt by the singer’s comments during the June protests, not because he had any personal grudges against him, but because he had always seen him as someone who speaks up for causes.
“If anything, I’ve always been an admirer of yours, and that hasn’t changed. I still listen to your music,” he said, adding that he had attended Diljit’s concert on May 10, before returning to India on June 6.
“Not just for your music, but because I’ve always had an immense respect for the person you are. Your courage, your authenticity, and the way you’ve taken India to the global stage while staying so true to your roots are things I’ve always admired about you,” he wrote.
Dipke added that this was why Dosanjh’s comments had hurt him, but one disagreement or misunderstanding would not change his respect and admiration for the singer.
“And at last, I would just like to say, ‘Gabru ta vairi nu vi mitha bolna, Ni tu ta Ferrari jatti da pyar goriye,’” he added.