Why does singer Shubh keep finding himself in controversies?
Shubneet Singh, known as Shubh, is a Punjabi rapper-singer based in Canada. However, it appears that he is facing growing criticism from the Indian audience.
In the latest incident, the singer found himself embroiled in a controversy over a hoodie depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi and a map of Punjab, leading to an outpouring of hate towards him.
What
- Recently, the 24-year-old singer stirred another controversy by showing support for the Khalistani agenda during his live concert in London on October 31.
- Following the event, social media was flooded with contrasting comments - some applauding his performance, while others expressing disapproval.
Why
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A viral video showed Shubh holding a black hoodie displaying a map of Punjab with Indira Gandhi's assassins depicted on it.
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While some Twitter users criticised him for the imagery, others contended that the map merely portrayed Punjab's districts.
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Despite this clarification, Shubh's detractors continued to accuse him of promoting the Khalistani cause, even recalling his previous ban from an Indian concert.
Kangana's reaction
Actress Kangana Ranaut criticized him on Twitter, condemning the glorification of violence against an elderly woman by those entrusted with her protection.
She emphasized that such actions represented cowardice rather than bravery.
She further added:
Celebrating the cowardly killing of an old woman by those who she appointed as her saviours.
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) October 31, 2023
When you are trusted to protect but you take advantage of the trust and faith and use the same weapons to kill the ones were suppose to protect then it’s a shameful act of cowardice not… https://t.co/GMqGjPeJQu
Shubh's response
In response to the backlash, Shubh took to Instagram to explain that a fan had thrown the contentious hoodie at him, disassociating himself from the controversial imagery.
He urged people to refrain from spreading negativity towards him.
The hoodie brand
dailyO did some digging and found out revealed that the hoodie in question was produced by a brand called Akaal Clothing, which openly markets the garment featuring the map of Punjab and Indira Gandhi's assassination.
Check it out:
A video posted by the brand appeared to show Shubh endorsing the hoodie, corroborating Shubh's statement that he had merely picked up the item thrown on stage.
Previous controversy and show ban
- When Punjab Police were hunting for Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh, Shubh shared a distorted map of India, omitting Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and all of Northeast India.
- His concert was supposed to take place in Mumbai on September 24 as part of the Cruise Control 4.0 event, organised aboard the Cordelia Cruise.
- But the concert was later cancelled by BookMyShow following the hate he was receiving.
However
- This distorted map was actually painted by Punjabi artist Amandeep Singh, who goes by the username @Inkquisitive on X and on September 20, when Shubh was getting trolled, the painter spoke out in support of his 'brother'.
- Singh said he posted the painting on March 21, 2023, and that his entire motive was to "highlight the blackout in Punjab".
@Shubhworldwide ⚔️🧡 pic.twitter.com/o5xjOl3HeY
— Inkquisitive 🎨 (@Inkquisitive) September 20, 2023
Shubh's popular songs often portray gun culture and sexism, which, while contributing to their popularity, also frequently land him in trouble.
The question remains whether Shubh's actions were intentional or simply a series of coincidences.