New Delhi: Days after folk singer Neha Singh Rathore was served a notice by the Uttar Pradesh Police for creating “disharmony and tension” with her latest song, her husband Himanshu Singh, who worked with Drishti IAS, has been asked to resign. Drishti IAS is a prominent coaching institute for civil services.
Singh confirmed this to ThePrint at their Mukherjee Nagar residence here Thursday afternoon. “Some issues were already going on but after the incident with Neha, I was asked to resign from Drishti IAS.”
Showing the pen in his hand, Singh said, “I am writing my resignation which I will submit afterwards.” He added that it couldn’t have been a coincidence that he was asked to resign soon after the police sent a notice to his wife.
A former employee working in Drishti IAS told ThePrint that Singh was associated with the social media team of the company.
ThePrint tried to contact Drishti IAS founder-director Vikas Divyakirti over phone but could not reach him. This report will be updated if Divyakriti responds.
Rathore recently sang ‘UP mein Ka Ba Part 2’ which she posted on social media on 16 February. In this video, she raised sharp questions on the Yogi Adityanath government over the recent death of a woman and her daughter in Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur, in an immolation bid.
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What’s the song about
The incident occurred on 13 February in Maitha tehsil of Kanpur Dehat during an anti-encroachment drive of the administration. A woman and her daughter set themselves afire in protest, and both succumbed to their injuries. The government formed two Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to investigate the matter.
In an interview with ThePrint, Rathore alleged that the women died due to the callousness of the police and administration in Kanpur Dehat. “I felt the need to speak about the issue so I came up with ‘UP mein Ka Ba Part 2’, on which the UP police objected. They felt my song was adding to the tension in the society, so they sent me a notice.”
“The police are treating me like a criminal. I will reply to the notice soon, after talking to my lawyer,” she said.
After receiving the notice, Rathore tweeted, “Hum aah bhi bharte hai to paa jate hain notice/ wo qatl bhi karte hai to charcha nahi hota. (I am served a notice for even sighing while nobody notices even if they kill someone).”
हम आह भी भरते हैं तो पा जाते हैं नोटिस
वो क़त्ल भी करते हैं तो चर्चा नहीं होता..!#artical19 #अनुच्छेद19 #democracy #अभिव्यक्तिकीस्वतंत्रता #KANPUR_DEHAT #up @myogiadityanath @myogioffice @Uppolice— Neha Singh Rathore (@nehafolksinger) February 23, 2023
ThePrint tried to reach Kanpur Dehat police superintendent B.B. Murti on the phone but he was busy in a high-level meeting with the IG.
Support pours in
Rathore said, “These people don’t want too many people to be impacted by my songs as they feel they will form negative opinions about them. I am a folk artist. What am I in front of the government? But still, they do not want my voice to be heard. They do not want anyone in their way, and whoever comes in their way, they will remove them.”
“Jo Janta ki samasya hai, wahi mere geeton me samne aata hai (I only sing about people’s problems),” she said. “I am making good use of my rights by staying within the purview of the Constitution. As long as the Constitution of India is by my side, you will not be able to do anything. It gives me freedom to do many things. And I will work accordingly,” said Rathore, holding a copy of the Constitution.
Many people have come out in support of Neha on social media. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asked if the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was scared of a folk singer. He tweeted about the notice to Rathore.
अपने लोकगीतों के ज़रिए सत्ता से बेबाक़ सवाल पूछने वाली लोकप्रिय गायिका @nehafolksinger ने जब गाया कि “यूपी में का बा?” तो बीजेपी सरकार ने उनके घर पुलिस के हाथों नोटिस भिजवा दिया…
एक लोकगायिका की आवाज़ से इतना डर गई बीजेपी?
शर्मनाक. बेहद शर्मनाक है ये. https://t.co/CVWKzwSDxz
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) February 22, 2023
Former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also tweeted about Rathore’s song.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
Also read: After viral ‘UP mein ka ba’, a nation-wide Congress talent hunt for the ‘next Neha Rathore’