‘Stigma must go, didn’t sing it’: Singer Honey Singh tells HC on ‘Volume 1’ row

SInger Yo Yo Honey Singh on th told the new delhi heights margaret court that he did non perform the controversial song “Volume 1” during a 2025 concert in Delhi, after the court ordered the track to be taken down from all platforms over its allegedly vulgar and misogynistic lyrics.A bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav directed the singer to file an affidavit placing his stand on record while hearing a plea filed by Hindu Shakti Dal, which has sought the removal of the song from the internet.In its petition, Hindu Shakti Dal said that the song was uploaded on YouTube by various users under different handles, where it garnered millions of views. The plea also claimed that over the years, Honey Singh and Badshah had denied performing the track. However, it alleged that verses of the song were performed during a concert in Delhi on March 1 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.Singh’s counsel, Rajshekhar Rao, on Thursday informed the court that his client did not perform the track at a concert held in Delhi in March last year.“This stigma has to go. This is not mine. Such an event happened, and I did not sing. In today’s world, I am asking myself a question: if something like this had happened in a stadium where there are 50k plus audience, there must be one audio clip or video clip of this,” Rao submitted.Taking note of the submission, Justice Kaurav directed the singer to file an affidavit placing his statement on record so that the court can decide the matter in controversy.“Respondent 5 (Honey Singh) is directed to file his affidavit clarifying the position that no such incident as alleged on March 1, 2025, has taken place and let all those aspects be placed in the affidavit to decide the controversy,” the court said in its order as it fixed May 19 as the next date of hearing.The controversial song was released by the singers in 2006-07 under their collaboration titled Mafia Mundeer.The Delhi HC in April had directed the immediate takedown of the two-decade-old song “Volume 1” by singers Honey Singh and Badshah, observing that it was “grossly vulgar,” “obscene,” and “derogatory towards women,” designed to “normalise the treatment of women as objects of ridicule and sexual gratification.”The court had said that permitting the dissemination of such content online, including access by minors, cannot be justified under the guise of artistic freedom of speech. It directed the two singers, and any other persons claiming rights in the song, to take it down from all social media platforms.