Rapper Talha Anjum has publicly apologized to Pakistani fans after a viral controversy erupted over his decision to wave an Indian flag during a live performance in Nepal last weekend. The Young Stunners artist addressed the incident during an interview on a private news channel on Thursday, following days of heated online debate intensified by his initial defiant response: “Will do it again.”
According to Anjum, the moment looked very different from the stage. The clip that sparked the backlash shows a concertgoer handing him an Indian flag mid-performance, which he proceeded to wave and place over his shoulders. The gesture quickly ignited criticism across social media, especially as he was performing Kaun Talha, a diss track aimed at Indian rapper Naezy.
Explaining his reaction, Anjum said he misread the situation as a show of support from Indian fans in the audience. “I was performing Kaun Talha when an Indian guy handed me the flag,” he said. “In the heat of the moment, I took it. He gave it respectfully.” He added that he interpreted the gesture as the crowd’s way of signalling they were “there for him” despite the rivalry the song implies.
When asked why he didn’t simply set the flag aside, Anjum admitted he had little awareness of the duration he held it. “In that moment, I didn’t realise how many seconds I stood there holding it,” he explained.
The uproar worsened after the concert when Anjum doubled down on social media, writing on X: “My heart has no place for hate. My art has no borders… If raising an Indian flag sparks controversy, so be it. I’ll do it again.”
However, during the interview, he walked back his earlier stance. When the co-host directly asked whether his apology was unconditional, Anjum responded with a clear “yes.”
“To everyone whose heart was hurt by anything I did, I apologise,” he said. He emphasized his gratitude to Pakistani fans, adding, “If you aren’t there, I’m not there. I am what I am because of Pakistan. Everywhere I go, they call me the finest or biggest Pakistani rapper.”
