'India Is My Country Too': Shubh Reacts To Being Called Khalistani And Cancellation Of Concert
Shubh has reacted to Still Rollin India concert getting cancelled and him being called Khalistani. He said India is my country too. BoAt has dropped sponsorship, BJP is protesting, Cricketers including Virat Kohli have unfollowed him and BookMyShow has cancelled shows.
If you listen to Punjabi music, we are sure, you have heard popular songs like Cheques, Still Rollin, No Love, OG, We Rollin, and Elevated among others. The man behind these chartbuster songs is Shubh who is set to perform in Mumbai. However, there's a big controversy that has been raging in India ahead of his concert. BJP's youth wing is protesting against him calling him Khalistani. BoAt has withdrawn its sponsorship.
Controversy surrounding Punjabi singer Shubh
Instagram
Shubh reacts to being called Khalistani and the cancellation of the India concert
Shubh reacted to the entire hoopla via a message posted on Instagram. A day after cancellation of his Still Rollin India concert, he posted on the photo-sharing app, "As a young rapper-singer hailing from Punjab, it was my life's dream to put my music on an international dais. But the recent happenings have tumbled my hard work and progress, and I wanted to say a few words to express my dismay and sorrow."
Shubh said he was extremely disheartened over cancellation of shows in India
He added, "I'm extremely disheartened by the cancellation of my tour in India. I was highly amped up and enthusiastic to perform in my country, in front of my people. The preparations were in full swing and I was practicing with my heart and soul for the last two months. And I was very excited, happy, and ready to perform. But I guess destiny had some other plans."
India is my country too and Punjabis do not need to prove their patriotism, he said.
"India is MY country too. I was born here. It is the land of my GURUS and my ANCESTORS, who didn't even blink an eye to make sacrifices for the freedom of this land, for its glory, and for the family. And Punjab is my soul, Punjab is in my blood. Whatever I am today, I am because of being a Punjabi, Punjabis do not need to prove their patriotism. At every turn of history, Punjabis have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of this country. So my humble request is to refrain from naming every Punjabi as separatist of anti-national."
About sharing the distorted map of India, he said:
"My intent in resharing that post on my story was only to Pray for Punjab as there were reports of electricity and internet shutdowns throughout the state. There was no other thought behind it and I definitely didn't intend to hurt anyone's sentiments. The accusations against me have deeply affected me".
I will continue to work hard and will be back soon, he said.
"But as my guru has taught me 'Manas Ki Jaat Sabai Ekai Pachanbo (All the human beings recognized as one and same)' and taught me not to be afraid, not to be intimidated which is the origin of Punjabiyat. I will continue to work hard. My team and I will be back soon, bigger and stronger together. Waheguru Mehar Kare Sarbat Da Bhala (folded hands and red heart emojis)".
Who is Shubh?
Shubhneet Singh, who is better known as Shubh - his stage name - is a singer based in Canada. The 26-year-old singer mostly sings Punjabi songs that are popular all across the world, especially in India. The Baller singer started his music journey in 2021 when he released his single Don¡¯t Look with Irman Thiara. However, he shot to overnight fame with his song We Rollin which established his presence in the industry.
Later, he released songs like Elevated, Offshore, No Love, Baller and Her -- all of them were super hits. His song Baller which still trends on Instagram reels became the most streamed track of all time and was at 68th spot on Canadian Hot 100 list in 2023.
This year, his songs Still Rollin and Cheques have been trending across all platforms.
Owing to his popularity in a span of over two years, he is all set to kick off his music tour and is scheduled to perform in India across 12 cities. This is his first-ever India tour. He is set to perform in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune and Jaipur. However, there's a huge controversy that has erupted and his show might be canceled.
For the unversed, Shubh's brother Ravneet Singh is an actor as well as a singer and a well-known name in the music industry.
Controversy around Shubh's Still Rollin India Tour
Why is Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) protesting against Shubh
Ahead of his 12 concerts across 12 cities in India, which is a part of his World Tour that will see him perform in UK, the UAE, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US, BJYM is demanding the cancellation of these events and is thus tearing down his posters.
BJYM President Tajinder Singh Tiwana said, "Shubh posted a map of India without Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab on his Instagram account, and another post in the form of a post-story under the name 'Pray for Punjab.'"
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) members remove posters for the upcoming event of Canadian Singer Shubh pic.twitter.com/KkbQvkj0FG
¡ª ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023
Furthermore, he said that the youth wing has also submitted a memorandum to the Mumbai Police Commissioner to demand cancellation of his shows as well as strict action. "We have given a memorandum to the organizers and Mumbai police to cancel the program peacefully and if appropriate action is not taken, we will protest. Through the memorandum, we have demanded the registration of an FIR against rapper Shubh," the BJYM President said.
Allegations of being Khalistani
Shubh's views on Khalistan are dangerous and divisive. They have the potential to incite violence and hatred.
¡ª Meera (@IMeeratewari) September 20, 2023
An Instagram story that was shared by Shubh, has shamelessly distorted the map of Bharat.
I hope that @bookmyshow will reconsider its decision and cancel Shubh's event pic.twitter.com/jCt8D5BEAo
The Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha is protesting against him as he previously shared a distorted map of India. The map he shared on social media didn't include the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and the North-eastern states. They say he supports Khalistani movements and hence shouldn't be allowed to perform in India. He wrote 'Pray for Punjab' in the Story, which attracted massive criticism from many including Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who tagged him Khalistani.
BoAt withdraws sponsorship from Shubh's India concert
Amid the raging controversy, BoAt has also withdrawn the sponsorship. In a statement on X (previously called Twitter), the company announced, "At boAt, while our commitment to the incredible music community runs deep, we are first and foremost a truly 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."
¡ª boAt (@RockWithboAt) September 19, 2023
Indian cricketers Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Suresh Raina have unfollowed him
Virat Kohli who is a fan of Punjabi music and has even personally messaged and praised Hustle 2.0 winner MC Square has unfollowed him on Instagram. Not just him, other Indian cricketers including KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Suresh Raina have also unfollowed him.
Virat Kohli has unfollowed Khalistani Canadian rapper and singer Shubh on Instagram.
¡ª Shimorekato (@iam_shimorekato) September 18, 2023
Huge Respect for King Kohli ? https://t.co/VAWqtjip6y pic.twitter.com/hSzqBXqhbW
Bookmyshow is also facing ire, and has now cancelled the show
The website where tickets for concerts can be booked is also facing massive criticism on social media. Uninstall BookMyShow has been trending on social media.
Mumbaikars have rejected vicious propaganda of hate-mongers.
¡ª Tracking Hate Against Sikhs (@thaSikhs) September 17, 2023
Punjabi singer Shubh¡¯s Mumbai show sells out 2 months ahead.
Sikh community, its institutions, and Punjabi artists are consistently facing targeting from a BJP backed ecosystem, and it has escalated after Farmers¡ pic.twitter.com/6Tr1glA2ki
Amid massive outrage, the platform has announced to cancel the show. "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 source account of the original transaction," read the statement.
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¡
¡ª BookMyShow (@bookmyshow) September 20, 2023
Support for Shubh
A lot of people meanwhile are extending him support as well.
Shubh is a 25 year old boy who shared his opinion , which could¡¯ve stemmed from a personally tragedy or experience- who is to say¡ cont.
¡ª Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) September 20, 2023
Do I share shubh¡¯s ideology- as a left leaning anti-caste feminist I just don¡¯t. But I will fully stand with him against bullying and cancelling.
¡ª Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) September 20, 2023
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Garima Satija leads the Entertainment vertical of Indiatimes. A storyteller at heart who enjoys the thrill of writing, she is sometimes found daydreaming about living the lives of movie characters. Also, she hates talking about herself in the third person.
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