The Bhojpuri artist is already facing a sedition case for her social media posts about the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir
NEW DELHI – Popular folk singer and political satirist, Neha Singh Rathore, has found herself in the thick of a new storm. She has been booked again in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a recent video.
An FIR was registered against her at Sigra Police Station in Varanasi based on a complaint filed by Dr Saurabh Maurya, president of the social organisation Sadhana Foundation, media reports said on Saturday.
The complaint alleges that Rathore called the prime minister a ‘coward’ and ‘General Dyer,’ and that her video was broadcast on Pakistani media channels. Dr Maurya claims that Rathore’s comments insulted the prime minister and harmed India’s global reputation.
The FIR has been filed under three sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS): 197(1)(a) for acts that harm national unity, 197(1)(d) for spreading misleading or false statements threatening national cohesion, and 353(2) for disturbing public order and social harmony.
Neha Singh Rathore is well-known online, with over 870,000 YouTube subscribers, nearly 150,000 Twitter followers, and around 69,000 followers on Instagram. She sings in Bhojpuri and is famous for her songs addressing political and social issues.
She is already facing a sedition case for her social media posts about the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. A complaint was filed against Rathore, alleging that her posts were “provocative” and targeted a specific community, potentially threatening national unity. Her comments suggested that the government played politics over the Pahalgam attack, citing the upcoming Bihar elections.
Born in 1997 in Bihar’s Kaimur district, Neha Singh Rathore rose to fame with her songs like ‘Bihar Mein Ka Ba’ and ‘UP Mein Ka Ba’. Her music often highlights governance issues, corruption, and social problems, aiming to preserve Bhojpuri tradition.
The case against her in Varanasi has again sparked a debate on freedom of expression. Supporters say Neha Singh has the right to use satire to express her views, while critics believe her language went beyond criticism into insult.
