Is rapper Karma being cancelled after backlash over ‘anti-national’ song?

Karma took to Instagram and shared screenshots of the hate messages he received after the song started getting attention.

Hyderabad: Karma did not just release a rap song, he released a mirror. And clearly, some people did not like what they saw.

The Dehradun rapper’s latest track, “Public Notice,” has stirred a fresh debate online after some listeners started attacking him for speaking about India’s ongoing social issues. From fake patriotism and VIP culture to women’s safety, unemployment, corruption, religious violence and public hypocrisy, Karma packed the track with uncomfortable questions. However, instead of discussing these questions, some users went straight for the oldest tag in the book – calling him “anti-national.”

What the song Public Notice actually talks about

The track opens with Karma questioning why abusive words in songs become a moral debate when society itself uses the same language every day. The point is not just about gaalis. It is about selective outrage.

He then takes on social media patriotism, the kind that wakes up on January 26 and August 15, posts flags online and then spends the rest of the year throwing garbage on the roads, spitting in public, harassing women and ignoring real civic responsibility.

Karma also touches the most sensitive, contentious part: God, talking about violence in the divine’s name. The line clearly questions people who use religion as a shield for hate, and that seems to be one of the major reasons the track has triggered some listeners the wrong way.

The rapper also goes after VIP culture, where roads are cleared for powerful people while ambulances and common citizens are made to wait. He talks about taxpayers’ money, corruption, tolls, public frustration and how ordinary people keep paying while the system keeps failing them.

In the second verse, he questions the “we are number one” narrative when basic needs are still not being met for many. He brings up poverty, environmental damage, media monopoly, unemployment, the education system and women’s safety. One of the strongest questions he asks is why people have the time to police what a singer can say, but not the same energy when it comes to justice for rape victims.

Karma’s response to backlash

The rapper took to Instagram and shared screenshots of the hate messages he received after the song started garnering attention. One message asked him to leave “netagiri” and focus on his own work, while another called him “anti-national” and warned him not to step outside. The irony almost writes itself. A song about raising your voice gets answered with abuse and threats.

Karma then posted a clear message on his Instagram story, saying that abusing him in DMs will not affect him and that he does not need to prove his patriotism to anyone. He added that the tags people are giving him only reflect their own thinking. His final line was even sharper: “Gaana suno. Samajh nahi aaya to dobara suno (Listen to the song, if you do not understand, listen again).” And honestly, that sums up the whole controversy.

Amid the outrage, some users defended Karma

Even though a large section of the internet is dragging Karma and throwing labels at him, not everyone is buying into the outrage. A smaller but equally vocal section has actually come out in support of the rapper, praising “Public Notice” for saying what many people think but do not say out loud. While some DMs were full of abuse and “anti-national” tags, the comment sections also saw listeners calling the track bold, repeat-worthy and one of Karma’s strongest works.

That support matters because it shows the conversation is not one-sided. Yes, the hate is louder and probably coming from the majority, but there are still people who see the song for what it is: a sharp take on the issues around us, not an attack on the country. In the middle of all the backlash, Karma is also getting backed by listeners who feel he struck a nerve for the right reasons.