Diljit Dosanjh has finally broken his silence on why he appeared as a guest on the popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, last year. The actor-singer addressed the criticism from pro-Khalistan groups that he touched the feet of Bachchan, who was accused of inciting violence against the Sikh community during the 1984 Sikh Genocide. The singer was reacting to people waving Khalistani flags at his show in Calgary, Canada.
Diljit was performing in Calgary, Canada on Thursday as part of his ongoing Aura tour when he spotted a group of people in the crowd waving Khalistan flags. Diljit stopped the concert mid-way to address the pro-Khalistan elements. He firmly asked them in Punjabi to leave the venue. He recalled how the pro-Khalistan protestors created a ruckus at his previous concerts, including the ones in Australia last year.
“My job is not to do charity. But whichever platform I go on, I always talk about Punjab,” Diljit said on stage, as the audience cheered on. “We often say national media doesn’t talk about Punjab enough. I went everywhere, including on that channel (Sony Entertainment Television for KBC) for the sake of Punjab. I put forth Punjab’s issues there. I’ve even donated generously to my state whenever needed,” added Diljit. The actor-singer had appeared on the show in 2025 to ask for donations for rescue and relief after the devastating Punjab floods, he had also generously contributed towards the effort.
“I even went on Jimmy Fallon’s show to talk about Punjab and the Guru Nanak Jahaz incident. I didn’t go there to promote any film or song. I went there to bring Punjab and its issues to light so that the national media talks about it,” argued Diljit. “If you still have an issue that I sat across someone on television, then keep waving how many flags you want to,” added the performer.
Why Diljit appearing on KBC caused protests
Last October, Diljit appeared on KBC 17 and touched Bachchan’s feet on national television. Bachchan even hailed him as “Punjab da puttar” (son of Punjab) for his efforts towards relief during Punjab floods, and the actor-singer performed on “Main Hoon Punjab” from his 2024 Netflix India period musical Chamkila, directed by Imtiaz Ali. But after the episode aired, he began to get threats from The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) group, linked to pro-Khalistan elements.
The contention was him touching the feet of Bachchan and treating him with reverence, given the megastar’s controversial past linked to Punjab. While Bachchan has categorically denied any involvement, certain groups continue to claim he made certain comments after the death of his family friend and then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in wake of her involvement in Operation Blue Star.
Bachchan continued to face protests from hardliner Sikh groups for decades, even uptill 2015, when Bachchan was asked by the Akal Takht (the highest seat for the Sikhs worldwide) to not attend the inauguration of the Khalsa Heritage Complex at Sri Anandpur Sahib despite an official invitation from the Punjab government. Bachchan had responded to the controversy then through a firm statement.
“Wild, irresponsible and most unfounded allegations, by certain sections of the Sikh community, about my involvement in the inciting of violence against them during the most unfortunate Sikh riots of 1984, soon after the death of Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister of India, has caused me acute agony,” said Bachchan.
“I wish to take this opportunity to vehemently and categorically deny these allegations against me which are completely baseless, false and untrue. The Nehru-Gandhi family and our family have old ties from our city of origin, Allahabad. We have been together in each other’s hour of grief and joy, but to allege that I was a part of the crowd that incited them to raise anti-Sikh slogans is a preposterous and blatant lie. Quite contrarily, I have always propagated the soothing of injured feelings and the maintenance of serenity. The unfortunate incidents of the riots of 1984 against the Sikhs shall always remain a blot and a dark phase in the history of our country, a country that prides itself in its secular credentials,” added Bachchan, attaching a picture of his maternal grandparents, both of whom were Sikhs.
Story continues below this ad
Khalistan protests against Diljit
After the airing of his KBC episode, the SFJ issued a statement against the actor-singer. “By touching feet of Bachchan the man whose words orchestrated Genocide, Diljit Dosanjh has insulted every victim, every widow, and every orphan of 1984 Sikh Genocide,” it stated. The group has been banned in India since 2019 under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The group threatened to disrupt Diljit’s concerts in Australia the following month. After encountering minor skirmishes during his tour and targeted trolling on social media, Diljit advocated peace and love during his concert in Brisbane. “I will always keep talking about love. For me, this Earth is one. My Guru says, ‘Ik Onkar.’ I was born from this earth, I got my life from this land and one day I will return to this soil. So, there is only love from my side for everyone, even if someone gets jealous of me or trolls me. I will always spread the message of love. I have always done so. I don’t care how anyone feels about it,” he said.
Diljit’s recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show
Diljit continued to spread the same message on his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier this week. The actor-singer revealed that he felt proud to witness 55,000 people in attendance during his Vancouver, Canada show at BC Palace in 2024, which was hailed as the “largest ever Punjabi music concert outside of India”.
View this post on Instagram
“That stadium we did in Vancouver… in 1914, our people came to Canada for the first time, but they weren’t allowed to enter. And that stadium is just two kilometres away from the Guru Nanak Jahaz Komagata Maru incident. So, it’s a big thing for us now, 55,000 people in the one stadium there, just two kilometres away, you didn’t allow us to come. And now, here we are, man. So, that’s why it’s amazing,” said Diljit on the show.
Story continues below this ad
The 1914 incident that Diljit referred to saw 376 passengers, mostly from Punjab, reached the shores of Canada from Hong Kong in Japanese steamer Komagata Maru, but were detained in Vancouver by the Canadian government under the provisions of Continuous Journey Regulation despite their documentation as British subjects.
Denied adequate food and water, the passengers were driven out of the Canadian military forces out of the harbour. When they returned to British India, they were declared political agitators. Nineteen of them were shot dead, whereas several others were placed in prison or under house arrest.
Also Read — Raja Shivaji movie review: Riteish Deshmukh’s Amar Chitra Katha-style spectacle nearly stolen by Salman Khan
The Canadian government acknowledged and apologized for the inhumane act only around a century later, with an official apology from then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016, followed by another one from the Vancouver City Council in 2021. Named after the revered Sikh guru, the steamer was called the Guru Nanak Jahaz, and also carried the grandfather of martyred officer Jaswant Singh Khalra, who Diljit will be seen playing in Honey Trehan’s Punjab ’95, currently stuck for release, thanks to a demand of 127 cuts by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
