Assam youth arrested for giving death threat to singer Zubeen Garg on Facebook

Assam police on Saturday arrested a youth for giving death threat on social media to popular singer Zubeen Garg for performing Hindi songs during Bohag Bihu celebrations in the state.

Tultul Baglary alias Kai Khaplang had posted a message on Facebook claiming he would shoot the singer with a 9mm pistol.

The youth, in his mid 20s, told police he posted the comment as he was upset with Garg, who enjoys cult status in Assam, for singing Hindi songs during Assam’s biggest festival, which marks the beginning of Assamese New Year.

“I posted the comment out of anger at his behaviour. I regret doing that. I had no intention of carrying out the threat,” Baglary told journalists after his arrest in Dibrugarh district.

Despite the post and the threat to his life, the singer went ahead with his performance in Dibrugarh on Friday night where he enthralled thousands with his popular Assamese and Hindi numbers.

“I am not afraid of such threats. The youth may have posted it to create a controversy and gain publicity,” Garg told journalists.

Police are probing antecedents of the youth who claims to be part of a tribal association. Cops are also verifying authenticity of a photo posted by Baglary on Facebook with a pistol in his hand.

Garg, 42, who has recorded thousands of songs in Assamese and other Indian languages, has also several Hindi hits including ‘Ya Ali’ from the movie Gangster (2006).

The singer was stopped form performing by organisers of a Bihu function in Guwahati last week when he was singing his song ‘Dil tu hi bata’ from the Hrithik Roshan hit Krissh 3.

A miffed Garg, left the stage halfway through his performance.

The incident left Assam divided with many stressing Garg shouldn’t have sung Hindi songs during Bihu while many others supported him.

The singer has been performing Assamese, Hindi and Bengali songs all over the state after the incident.

Originally performed in courtyards and fields, Bihu is primarily organised on makeshift stages across Assam these days where traditional songs and dances of the state’s various communities are showcased.

Since the past three years, organisers of some Bihu functions and even the banned United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) have been imposing certain restrictions on performers.

While some wants singers to stick to songs in Assamese and other languages from the region others want them to wear traditional dresses on stage.

Many artists have followed the conditions, but Garg continues his defiance.