Shubh: Canadian-Punjabi singer Shubh under fire! BoAt drops sponsorship ahead of Mumbai concert; Virat Kohli unfollows on Instagram
The turmoil stems from allegations of his support for Khalistani separatist elements, which has led to consumer lifestyle brand BoAt to pull out their sponsorship from Shubh’s Mumbai concert.
BoAt’s Sponsorship Withdrawal
The company clarified its decision, emphasizing its commitment to being an Indian brand.
In a statement shared on X (Twitter), boAt expressed, “At boAt, while our commitment to the incredible music community runs deep, we are first & foremost a true Indian brand. Therefore, when we became aware of the remarks made by artist Shubh earlier this year, we chose to withdraw our sponsorship from the tour.”
Cricketing World Reacts
Further, ex-Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who had previously expressed his admiration for Shubh on social media, unfollowed the singer on Instagram following the controversy.
Cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya also unfollowed Shubh, though the exact timing of their actions remains unclear.
What’s The Controversy?
The controversy surrounding Shubh escalated when members of BJYM tore down posters promoting his event, citing concerns about his alleged support for Khalistani separatists.
Their objections stem from a social media post by Shubh, wherein he shared a distorted map of India, omitting Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. This post coincided with the Punjab Police’s pursuit of a fugitive named Amritpal Singh.
India-Canada Tensions Grow
This controversy comes as tensions between India and Canada have escalated due to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of “potential” Indian links to the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader.
In response, India has expelled a senior Canadian diplomat, citing concerns about the “interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” as per the Ministry of External Affairs.
The ties between the two nations have strained further, with talks on a bilateral free trade agreement being frozen.
This upcoming concert of Shubh, scheduled from September 23 to 25, is part of the Cruise Control 4.0 event, which has been touted as ‘Asia’s biggest cruise festival’ aboard the Cordelia Cruise.
Shubh, who has garnered a substantial following with hits like ‘Elevated’, ‘OG’, and ‘Cheques’, boasts 3.24 million subscribers on YouTube. His debut album ‘Still Rollin’ recently achieved a remarkable milestone of 100 million streams on Spotify in under two months.
