Diljit Dosanjh on Khalistan Flag Row: ‘Don’t Spread Fake Narrative — I Will Not Tolerate This Any More’
Diljit Dosanjh on Khalistan row: Singer also shuts down Punjab politics speculation with a firm ‘Kade vi nahi’ — and says he is ‘abused from both sides’: called Khalistani in India, called ‘India wala’ by pro-Khalistan groups abroad
Arvind Chhabra
Chandigarh, May 11
Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh has broken his silence on the controversy that erupted after he confronted pro Khalistan flag-waving protesters at his Calgary concert on April 30 — and his clarification cuts sharply against the narrative that has dominated coverage of the incident.
In a detailed statement posted on Instagram, written in Punjabi and Hinglish, Diljit made a precise and important distinction: he did not ask anyone to put away their banners or flags. He asked security to remove those who were disrupting his fans inside the venue. Anyone who reported otherwise, he said, was spreading a fake narrative.
His Statement, In Full
This is what Diljit wrote, exactly as posted:
“Bahar Khad Ke Protest koi v Kar Sakda Par je Tusi Mere Fans Nu Andar Aa Ke Tang Karn Di Try Karo Ge.. Oh Tolerate Nhi Kita Jaeyga..
Je Koi V Banner or Flag Ley Ke Aunda Oh eh Dasna Chaunda Ke Asi Falani Jagha Ton Aeye An.. Te Asi Tuanu Support Karde An..
Par Tusi Same Banner Naal Bahar Khad Ke Mere Fans Nu Gaalan Kadh Rahe Hon.. Same Banner Tusi Andar Leya Ke v Oh Hee Kush Karn Di Try Kar Rahe Hon.. Not gonna Tolerate This
Gal Kisey V Banner Yaan Jhande Di Ni.. Os Piche Tuade Maksad Ki Aa Point Oh Aa..
I Said to Security Ke Jo V Program Nu Kharab Karn Di Try Kar riha CHAK Ke Bahar Maro..
I didn’t say Anyting To Any Banner Don’t spread Fake Narrative
Mai Last Year Ton Es Gal Nu Avoid Kar riha.. BUT NOT ANY MORE.. Thank You
LOVE & PEACE ✌️“
What It Means — A Plain Reading
Diljit Dosanjh on Khalistan row: In plain terms, his position is this — protest outside, that’s your right. But if you bring a flag or banner inside the venue and use it to abuse his fans or disrupt the show, security will throw you out. His instruction to security was about conduct, not about the flag itself. The issue, he says, is not the banner — it is the intent behind it.
He also directly challenged the way the incident was reported: “I didn’t say anything to any banner. Don’t spread fake narrative.” Several outlets had framed the Calgary moment as Diljit taking a stand against pro-Khalistan flags per se. He is now saying that framing is wrong.
Diljit Dosanjh on Khalistan row: ‘Abused From Both Sides’
The Diljit Dosanjh on Khalistan row clarification is part of a wider moment of candour for Diljit during this tour. At one of his concerts, he told the audience: “I am abused from both sides. In India, people call me Khalistani, while here they — pro-Khalistani elements — call me ‘India wala’. I don’t understand where I belong, but I feel I’m on the right path.”
It is a line that captures his predicament with unusual honesty — a globally successful Punjabi artist who is claimed by neither camp and attacked by both. His response, consistent across concerts and social media, has been to refuse either label and keep performing.
The Politics Question — And His Answer
Diljit Dosanjh on Khalistan row: Against this backdrop, a Chandigarh-based civil society group entered the conversation with a public appeal this week. Jaago Punjab Manch — a group of civil society activists drawn from various walks of life, including retired Army personnel — publicly appealed to Diljit to enter the political arena, calling him the kind of leader a cash-strapped, drug-affected Punjab needs. The group is led by retired bureaucrat SS Boparai, who argued that Diljit’s appeal lay precisely in the fact that he had never sought power.
Speculation had gained further traction after some newspapers carried reports wondering if Diljit Dosanjh can be the New Political Face of Punjab, even noting that he had met both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and had distanced himself from separatist politics during the Canada tour.
The comparison with Tamil superstar Vijay — who has managed to become Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in his very first electoral attempt — was drawn explicitly in coverage of the speculation.
Diljit’s answer was swift, flat, and left no room for interpretation. He posted on X: “Kade vi nahi… Mera kaam entertainment karna. I am very happy in my field. Thank you so much.”
He has so far shown no inclination to enter the political arena, and his public persona has been carefully built around a non-political, non-partisan image — one where the only ideology he appears to represent is a Punjabi one, not one favouring any political party.
Where the Tour Goes From Here
The Aura World Tour, which began on April 23 in Vancouver, is one of the largest Punjabi music tours in history. The Canadian leg is scheduled to conclude in Toronto on May 31. The protests, it appears, are getting smaller. The conversation around Diljit Dosanjh is only getting larger.
