Canada-based Punjabi singer Shubhneet Singh, popularly known by his stage name Shubh, is at the centre 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.
On September 19, electronics brand boAt retracted its sponsorship of the upcoming India tour of the singer. BoAt's decision to withdraw its sponsorship is primarily rooted in the singer's controversial actions earlier this year when he shared a distorted map of India on his Instagram story, conspicuously omitting the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the Northeastern states.
Along with the picture, the singer wrote, "Pray for Punjab", for which he was slammed massively on social media. The singer later deleted the map and replaced it with a message that read "Pray for Punjab" without any picture.
Also Read| BoAt Withdraws Sponsorship For Canadian Singer's India Tour Over Controversial Remarks
The singer is scheduled to perform in Mumbai from September 23-25 as part of the Cruise Control 4.0 event, organised aboard the Cordelia Cruise. He will also perform in cities such as New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. However, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP removed posters promoting his concert, saying that there is no place for 'Khalistan' supporters in the country.
"There is no space for Khalistanis who are the enemy of integrity and unity of India. We won't let Canadian singer Shubh perform on the auspicious land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mumbai...If no proper action is taken then the organisers will have to face the revolt..." BJYM President Tajinder Singh Tiwana told news agency ANI.
Since the controversy, Virat Kohli, along with fellow cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, unfollowed the singer on Instagram.
Notably, the controversy surrounding the singer's tour unfolds against the backdrop of strained relations between India and Canada. Canada on Monday accused the Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June and expelled New Delhi's intelligence chief in Ottawa in retaliation. The diplomatic move sent relations between the two countries, already sour, to a dramatic new low.
India, meanwhile, rejected Justin Trudeau's government's allegation, describing it as "absurd" and "motivated". In a reciprocal move, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat and gave him 5 days to leave the country.
