Chandigarh, March 13 (IANS) With rapper-singer Badshah failing to appear in Panipat on Friday in response to a summons issued by the Haryana State Commission for Women, its Chairperson Renu Bhatia directed the state police to arrest the rapper over the Haryanvi track Tateeree that sparked controversy.

She said the police in Panipat and Panchkula were directed to take action against Badshah and arrest him. Also, notices were issued across the state that unless “he appears before the commission, none of his shows will be allowed in Haryana”.

She also directed the police to confiscate Badshah’s passport if needed, so that he cannot go abroad to avoid investigation.

The commission’s Chairperson declined to meet with counsel of Badshah as he was asked to appear in person by 3 p.m. The counsel told the media in Panipat town that they had received a scheduled time slot from the Women’s Commission. He said Badshah “is an artist and brings glory to Haryana”.

The counsel said the rapper has already uploaded a video on social media, seeking an apology by saying he did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments.

The complainant, Savita Arya, told the media that the commission’s Chairperson refused to meet Badshah’s lawyer. She said the Chairperson had made it clear that “if Badshah appears by 3 p.m., the dispute could be resolved; otherwise, action would be initiated against him.”

Last week, the state police registered a first information report (FIR) and initiated the process to issue a lookout notice against rapper Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia, popularly known as Badshah, over allegations that his song features girls in school uniforms dancing in a Haryana Roadways bus and making objectionable gestures.

As per the FIR, the complainant stated that a song and video titled Tateeree was recently released on the official YouTube channel of Badshah, and had gone viral. The Haryana State Commission for Women has also taken cognisance of the song and issued a summons to Badshah.

Besides Savita Arya, president of the Nari Tu Narayani Utthan Samiti in Panipat, another complainant, Shiv Kumar, director of the Shiv Aarti India Foundation, alleged that Tateeree contains objectionable vocabulary and sexualized references, which they say objectify women and minors.

–IANS

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