Singer Sonu Nigam has spoken out after a statement on Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan ad row was wrongly attributed to him. The comment was shared by an X account belonging to another person with the same name, but it was reported as his statement. The singer has now denied having any connection with the post. The confusion comes amid the backlash over jewellery brand GIVA’s Raksha Bandhan campaign featuring Kriti Sanon.
Sonu Nigam denies viral statement
Reports attributed a statement on the Kriti Sanon ad controversy to Sonu. A report cited a post shared by an X account using his name, which commented on the backlash around the advertisement.
The singer, however, has now clarified that the account and the statement do not belong to him. He took to his official Instagram account on Thursday to call out the report and make it clear that he was not behind the post. Sharing a screenshot of the report, he wrote: “This is not me and this has never been me!”
The mix-up happened because the X post came from another person named Sonu Nigam Singh. The singer, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that he is not on X/Twitter.
The other Sonu Nigam clarifies
After Sonu Nigam clarified that the statement was not his, Sonu Nigam Singh also responded to the confusion on X. He made it clear that the post had been shared from his own account, @SonuNigamSingh, and urged media outlets to check the source before attributing statements to public figures with the same name.
“For clarity, the post was published from my account, @SonuNigamSingh. The singer has now also publicly clarified that the post is not his. I request media organisations to verify the source account before attributing statements, especially when two people share the same name,” he wrote.
What sparked the controversy?
The controversy began after GIVA released a 36-second Raksha Bandhan ad featuring Kriti Sanon in an ivory bralette-style blouse, paired with a cape and a draped skirt. In the campaign, she is seen tying rakhi to her brother and her pet dog, with the brand trying to underline that pets are family too. However, the ad soon faced backlash online, with viewers questioning her outfit as well as the way the festival was portrayed.
GIVA pulls the campaign
As the backlash intensified, GIVA decided to pull the advertisement from all platforms. In its statement, the jewellery brand said it holds Indian festivals and traditions in high regard, adding that the campaign was simply an attempt to include pets in the Raksha Bandhan celebrations.
The statement read, “We have the highest regard and deep respect for Indian culture, traditions and festivals. As a brand, we have always believed in celebrating these joyous moments with the entire family and this time we wanted to extend the love and celebration to our pets. If our recent advertisement has inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some segments of society, that was not our intent at all. Out of respect, we have withdrawn the said advertisement from all media.”