- The upcoming tour of Punjabi singer and rapper Shubhneet Singh, popularly known by his stage name ‘Shubh’, was canceled
- He made headlines for his alleged support for Khalistan and separatists, just a few days back.
- The singer was scheduled to perform in several cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata over the next two months.
- BJYM has alleged, that Shubh posted two stories on his Instagram account, which had a distorted map of India without Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, along with the caption “Pray for Punjab”.
- The memorandum submitted by BJYM to the Mumbai police stated that the intention of the singer was to show that Punjab is not a part of India and to propagate the Khalistani agenda.
- Since the controversy, Virat Kohli, along with fellow cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, unfollowed the singer on Instagram.
The upcoming tour of Punjabi singer and rapper Shubhneet Singh, popularly known by his stage name ‘Shubh’, was canceled, days after he made headlines for his alleged support for Khalistan and separatists.
Canada-based Punjabi singer Shubh is at the center of a controversy for his alleged support for Khalistan. This controversial issue has been straining relations between Canada and India. The singer, who has risen to fame in the music industry with hits like “Elevated”, “OG” and “Cheques”, has a massive fanbase across the world.
The singer was scheduled to perform in several cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata over the next two months. He was also listed among the headliners of a cruise festival scheduled later this week aboard Cordelia Cruises in Mumbai.
The development came amid the ongoing protests, led by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of BJP – in Mumbai, against Shubh. One of the demands of BJYM was to cancel the singer’s tour and show. They had earlier written to the Mumbai police, asking them to register an FIR against Shubh “for waging war against the Government of India and posting anti-government posts”.
BJYM has alleged that on March 23, 2023, Shubh posted two stories on his Instagram account, which had a distorted map of India without Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, along with the caption “Pray for Punjab”. The memorandum submitted by BJYM to the Mumbai police stated that the intention of the singer was to show that Punjab is not a part of India and to propagate the Khalistani agenda.
“Shubh is openly a Khalistani supporter and if he is allowed to hold a concert here, he will be influencing a lot of youth in Mumbai and our country to support his agenda. He has evidently proven that he is a pro-Khalistani activist and openly supports their agenda and he is also influencing the youth of the country to do the same and wage a war against the Government of India by posting such absurd and derogatory posts about the Government of India,” the complaint read.
BJYM President Tajinder Singh Tiwana told the media, “We won’t let singer Shubh perform in the auspicious land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mumbai. If no proper action is taken, then the organizers will have to face our protests.”
Shubh shared a distorted map of India on Instagram in March, amid the police crackdown against self-proclaimed Sikh preacher and ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh and his associates. He posted the image after the Punjab government suspended mobile internet services across the state.
Singh had earlier issued a clarification on Instagram after people questioned him in comments regarding the depiction of the map. He said it was “not done intentionally to provoke any sort of separate state agenda”.
Before the cancellation of Shubh’s “Still Rolling India Tour”, electronics brand boAt announced that it had withdrawn sponsorship of the tour, citing that it was “first and foremost a truly Indian brand”.
Since the controversy, Virat Kohli, along with fellow cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, unfollowed the singer on Instagram.
(With inputs from agencies)
