Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring drew sharp criticism from the family and fans of late Punjabi singer-turned-politician Shubhdeep Singh, popularly known as Sidhu Moose Wala during the ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ event in Mansa.
The controversy erupted after Warring repeatedly cited Moose Wala as an example of a weak electoral contestant during his recent addresses. Moose Wala, who contested the 2022 assembly polls on a Congress ticket from Mansa, was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party’s Dr Vijay Singla by a margin of 63,323 votes. Warring argued that despite being a massive crowd-puller, the late singer lost by a huge margin due to a gap in strong support at the grassroots booth level.
The remarks did not sit well with Moose Wala’s father, Balkaur Singh, who publicly confronted the state party chief in the presence of AICC general secretary and Punjab in charge Bhupesh Baghel.
Balkaur strongly objected to his son’s legacy being used as an example of electoral failure. He pointed out the selective targeting within the party’s review process, questioning why Moose Wala was being singled out when Congress candidates lost in 100 other seats across Punjab in 2022.
“Even after his death, my son has a massive digital fan following. Give me an example in Punjab who can compete with my strong social media presence,” Balkaur challenged, asserting that his family has been associated with the party for decades and does not require validation from any individual.
{{/usCountry}}“Even after his death, my son has a massive digital fan following. Give me an example in Punjab who can compete with my strong social media presence,” Balkaur challenged, asserting that his family has been associated with the party for decades and does not require validation from any individual.
{{/usCountry}}The confrontation exposed deeper rifts regarding local political control. Balkaur expressed deep lament over Warring’s directions asking various Congress workers to prepare to contest from the Mansa assembly segment for forthcoming elections. Balkaur, an ex-serviceman, has openly expressed his willingness to enter electoral politics on a Congress ticket since his son’s murder in 2022. However, his claims have repeatedly been sidelined by the high command.
The family previously voiced strong displeasure ahead of the Lok Sabha elections when Congress fielded four-time MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu from the Bathinda Parliamentary seat, forcing leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa to rush to Musa village to pacify them.
Despite the public blowout, Baghel attempted to steer the focus back to organisational goals, urging booth-level workers to strengthen the grassroots machinery to secure future electoral victories.