Canada-based rapper Shubh's India tour cancelled amid Khalistan controversy

In a major development, Canadian Punjabi singer Shubhneet Singh's India tour of three months has been cancelled amid uproar over the rapper's prior support for Khalistan. Known by his stage name Shubh, the 26-year-old was scheduled to perform in Mumbai from September 23-25 as part of the Cruise Control 4.0 event aboard the Cordelia Cruise.He was then set to embark on a three-month-long venture spanning 12 cities including Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru. 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. The cancellation comes a day after his show's sponsor boAt pulled out from the concert.

The controversy erupted after,the singer shared a distorted map of India on his Instagram story, conspicuously omitting the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the Northeastern states some months back. 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. 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 Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the ruling BJP, had opposed the singer's appearance, alleging his support for Khalistan and for posting a distorted map of Kashmir.The BJYM had 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.