India, May 15 -- Singer Sonu Nigam has petitioned the Karnataka High Court to dismiss criminal cases filed against him for allegedly making offensive comments about the Kannadiga community during a live event in Bengaluru. The court has heard initial arguments and scheduled a hearing for today. The controversy erupted following a recent music concert held in an engineering college last month. A video clip of his remarks from the stage began circulating on social media, sparking outrage from several Kannada groups who accused him of insulting the local community. In response to public outcry, a complaint was filed by TA Dharmaraj, the Bengaluru Urban District president of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, a prominent pro-Kannada organisation. The complaint, lodged at the Avalahalli Police Station, led to an FIR being registered against Nigam on May 3. The FIR alleges that Nigam's comments emotionally provoked Kannadigas and could have led to tensions between linguistic groups in Karnataka. htc...