New Delhi: Canada-based Punjabi singer Shubh, whose real name is Shubhneet Singh, has reacted to the cancellation of his India tour following allegations of his support for Khalistan. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the singer said that he was 'extremely disheartened' as he was 'enthusiastic to perform in my country, in front of my people'.
Shubh wrote, "As a young rapper-singer hailing from Punjab, India, 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. 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,” he added.
Shubh continued, "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 give proof of patriotism. At every turn in history, Punjabis have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of this country. That's why it's my humble request to refrain from naming every Punjabi as a separatist or anti-national."
"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."
"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)," he concluded.
On Tuesday, BookMyShow announced that the 26-year-old rapper’s multi-city ‘Still Rollin India Tour’ has been cancelled. Prior to that Consumer electronics brand boAT also withdrew its sponsorship of his India tour. Explaining its decision, boAT said in a statement on X: "At boAt, while our commitment to the incredible music community runs deep, we are first and foremost a true Indian brand. When we became aware of the remarks made by artist Shubh earlier this year, we chose to withdraw our sponsorship from the tour."
It all started when Shub’s old Instagram post went viral creating outrage. The post captioned 'Pray for Punjab', along with two folded hands emojis, depicted a map of India without the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and the North-East on it. The singer had shared the post during the Punjab Police hunt for Khalistani terrorist Amritpal Singh.
Shubneet’s ‘Still Rollin India Tour’ was announced on August 4. The three-month long tour included cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune and Jaipur.