Canadian Punjabi singer Shubhneet Singh, known by his stage name Shubh, is at the centre of a storm ahead of his scheduled performance in Mumbai from September 23-25 as part of the Cruise Control 4.0 event aboard the Cordelia Cruise.
The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the ruling BJP, has vehemently opposed the singer's appearance, alleging his support for Khalistan and for posting a distorted map of Kashmir.
The trouble began when the 26-year-old rapper shared a distorted map of India on his Instagram story, conspicuously omitting the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the Northeastern states.
Alongside the image, he wrote "Pray for Punjab," which sparked immediate criticism. Singh later deleted the map, replacing it with a message that only read "Pray for Punjab” without any picture.
Shubh, who has risen to fame in the music industry with hits like "Elevated," "OG," and "Cheaques," enjoys a global fanbase, with even former Team India captain Virat Kohli dancing to his tune in a viral video.
However, since the controversy, Kohli, along with cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, unfollowed the singer on Instagram.
Shubh is set for his 'Still Rollin India Tour,' a three-month-long venture covering 12 major Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Mumbai. Electronics brand boAt today withdrew its sponsorship from the show with a statement on social media.
"At boAt, while our commitment to the incredible music community runs deep, we are first & foremost a true Indian brand. Therefore, when we became aware of the remarks made by artist Shubh earlier this year, we chose to withdraw our sponsorship from the tour," declared the company, citing the singer’s earlier comments.
The timing of Shubh’s now deleted post coincided with Punjab Police's search for Khalistani terrorist Amritpal Singh which also lead to the arrest of many of Shubh's followers.
The BJYM has also submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner of Police in Mumbai, demanding severe action against Shubh and the cancellation of all his performances in the country. They have also called for the registration of an FIR against the singer.
Shubh rose to mainstream in 2021 with his single "We Rollin" and is a fan of the late singer Sidhu Moosewala.
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