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In a remarkably short period, the Punjabi artist known as Shubh has successfully carved out a unique space for himself in the music industry, particularly in India.
His music has proliferated across various social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and more, with users utilizing his tracks to create videos.
Nevertheless, the Canada-based Punjabi singer, who was originally scheduled to embark on his Still Rollin India tour, is currently making waves on the internet for less favorable reasons.
For those unfamiliar with him, Shubh, whose real name is Shubhneet Singh, is an Indian rapper residing in Canada, primarily known for producing Punjabi songs. The 26-year-old artist gained widespread recognition with his 2021 single, “We Rollin.”
Shubh has recently drawn attention to a social media post he shared in March 2023. Given the escalated tensions between India and Canada, particularly following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s connection of the death of Khalistan Tiger Force chief, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, to Indian government officials, Shubh’s post has resurfaced online, sparking claims that he supports the Khalistani movement.
The controversy began when Shubh, known for hits like “Cheques,” “We Rollin,” and “Elevated,” posted an Instagram story in March 2023.
The story featured a modified map of India where Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Northeast India, including Punjab, were depicted in black, with an image of a policeman holding a plug. Shubh captioned the post with “Pray for Punjab,” sparking allegations of him supporting the Khalistani movement.
Shubhneet Singh shared the post in March 2023 when Punjab Police were searching for Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De, a radical Indian Khalistani separatist and self-proclaimed Sikh preacher. Amritpal was arrested for inciting discord among the public. During this period, several individuals were detained or questioned, and internet services were temporarily restricted. Shubh’s Instagram story post was seen as an attempt to draw attention to the situation in Punjab.
Due to the strong negative reaction, Boat decided to terminate its sponsorship agreement with Shubh on September 19. In their statement, Boat explained that they would no longer support Shubh’s Still Rollin India tour, emphasizing their identity as an authentic Indian brand. They cited Shubh’s earlier comments as the reason for their decision and announced it via a tweet.
Singer Shubhneet Singh’s Still Rollin Tour for India stands cancelled. To that end, BookMyShow has initiated a complete refund of the ticket amount for all consumers who had purchased tickets for the show. The refund will be reflected within 7-10 working days in the customer’s…
— BookMyShow (@bookmyshow) September 20, 2023
Shubh had originally been scheduled to headline the Cordelia Cruise “Cruise Control 4.0” event in Mumbai from September 23 to 25. However, modifications have been made to the event’s roster, including the removal of posts related to Shubh from the official event Instagram page. Additionally, as part of his three-month-long Still Rollin India tour, the singer had planned performances in New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, but all of these shows have now been canceled.
BookMyShow informed, “Singer Shubhneet Singh’s Still Rollin Tour for India stands cancelled. To that end, BookMyShow has initiated a complete refund of the ticket amount for all consumers who had purchased tickets for the show.”
Numerous Bollywood celebrities and notable Indian figures have frequently discussed the Canada-based Punjabi singer, with Virat Kohli being one of his prominent admirers. Recent observations indicate that the Indian cricketer has chosen to unfollow the singer on Instagram.
this.
not one day has gone by where i’ve not been sent a death threat to take that artwork down (that was march)…
i refuse to do so, because it had NOTHING to do with the narrative they’re wanting it to be. it was about the police crackdown and just that.
Advertisementit IS ridiculous. https://t.co/VlVbFjMMTE
— Inkquisitive 🎨 (@Inkquisitive) September 16, 2023
Graphic artist Amandeep Singh, known as Inquisitive, weighed in on the situation and defended his artwork. In a tweet, he expressed support for Shubh and clarified that his art was intended as a visual representation of a policeman disconnecting Punjab, symbolizing the “blackout in Punjab.” He lamented that he and others who shared the artwork were being unfairly labeled as Khalistanis and shared his disbelief at how the situation had unfolded. Amandeep further elaborated in subsequent tweets, explaining that his art was meant to symbolize the disruption of internet services in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, rather than the misinterpretation it had received.
BJYM (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha) has presented a memorandum to the Mumbai police, contending that the singer’s intent in sharing the artwork was to suggest that Punjab is separate from India. The memorandum reads, “Shubh is evidently a vocal supporter of Khalistan, and if allowed to conduct a concert in our city, he could potentially sway many young people in Mumbai and our nation to align with his agenda… He has unmistakably demonstrated his alignment with the pro-Khalistani movement, openly endorsing their objectives and influencing the youth of our country to follow suit, thereby instigating opposition against the Government of India through his posting of contentious and derogatory content about the Indian government.”
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