BookMyShow on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the upcoming India tour of Canada-based singer-rapper Shubhneet Singh aka Shubh. The online ticketing platform's announcement came amidst widespread clamour on social media that his shows be called off due to his alleged support for Khalistani elements.
Also Read: Who is Canada-based singer Shubh, and why is he controversial?
To be sure, BookMyShow's statement did not mention the reason behind the cancellation of the tour.
“Singer Shubneet Singh's Still Rollin Tour for India stands cancelled. To that end, BookMyShow has initiated a complete refund of the ticket amount for all consumers who had purchased tickets for the show. The refunds will be reflected within 7-10 working days in the customer's source account of the original transaction,” it said in its statement on X (formerly Twitter).
The Punjab-born artist, 26, was scheduled to begin his three-month-long visit with shows in Mumbai from September 23 to 25; he was also scheduled to perform in 11 other cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and more.
What is the controversy?
{{/usCountry}}The Punjab-born artist, 26, was scheduled to begin his three-month-long visit with shows in Mumbai from September 23 to 25; he was also scheduled to perform in 11 other cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and more.
What is the controversy?
{{/usCountry}}In March, he posted two stories on his Instagram account showing a map of India, which, however, omitted both Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, sparking a massive outcry.
The posts were made at a time when a police crackdown was underway to nab the now-arrested Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh and his supporters. Singh, who headed a group called ‘Waris Punjab De,’ and his aides, are locked in a jail in Assam's Dibrugarh.
India-Canada tensions
On September 19, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau accused India of carrying out the June killing of its national Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead in the country's Surrey region. An active proponent of Khalistan – a proposed independent Sikh nation – Nijjar was a designated terrorist in India.
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While India refuted the allegations, and, in a tit-for-move, expelled a top Canadian diplomat – the standoff is still ongoing – the chorus of voices calling for the cancellation of Shubh's tour got shriller on social media.