Canada-based Punjabi singer Shubh, known as Shubhneet Singh, has become the center of a significant social media backlash that led to the cancellation of his “Still Rollin” tour in India. The rapper-singer had scheduled performances in several Indian cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, but the tour was abruptly called off due to a controversy. This controversy arose when Shubh posted a distorted map of India on his Instagram Stories, which sparked outrage and accusations of supporting Khalistani separatist elements.
In response to the uproar, BookMyShow announced the cancellation of Shubh’s India tour and initiated a refund process for ticket buyers. BookMyShow stated that they were canceling Shubhneet Singh’s “Still Rollin Tour for India” and would provide full refunds to all ticket purchasers, with the refunds expected to reflect in the customers’ source accounts within 7-10 working days. This controversy surrounding Shubh has led to a significant public outcry and a debate about his alleged affiliations and actions, particularly in relation to the sensitive issue of Khalistan separatism.
Shubh, a 26-year-old rapper born in Punjab and based in Brampton, Canada, found himself embroiled in this controversy at a time when tensions between India and Canada were strained. This occurred after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused ‘Indian agents’ of involvement in the June 23 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar at a gurudwara in Surrey, Vancouver. Shubh’s Instagram post, captioned ‘Pray for Punjab,’ depicted a map of India without the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the North-East, and he eventually deleted it. This act occurred during the Punjab Police’s hunt for Khalistani terrorist Amritpal Singh and the subsequent arrest of many of Shubh’s followers.
Furthermore, amidst this controversy, boAt, an Indian brand, withdrew its sponsorship for Shubh’s India tour, citing their commitment to being an Indian brand and their awareness of Shubh’s remarks made earlier in the year.
Shubh gained recognition with his 2021 track ‘We Rollin’, which garnered a following in the Punjabi diaspora across several countries. His single ‘Baller’ even made it to No. 68 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. Shubh began his musical journey in 2021 with the single ‘Don’t Look,’ co-produced with Punjabi pop artist Irman Thiara. His breakthrough single ‘We Rollin’ became his most streamed song, followed by ‘Elevated’ and ‘Offshore.’ Earlier this year, Shubh released his debut album ‘Still Rollin,’ which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Canadian charts.
