Singer Shubh Khalistan controversy: AP Dhillon, Karan Aujla, Rapper Dino, Garry Sandhu and others support

Singer and rapper Shubh has issued an official statement after massive backlash over him sharing a distorted map of India. While cricketers like Virat Kohli and others unfollowed him, his upcoming tour in India has also been cancelled. Amid India-Canada's political tension, the singer has broken his silence.

Shubh's statement

"I'm extremely disheartened by the cancellation of my tour in India. 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."

The rapper expressed his love for India and Punjab. "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."

He also apologised for his post and said that there was no thought behind it. After Shubh's post, several Punjabi singers have lent their support to him.

AP Dhillon: I try to stay out of all the social mania as it is clear to me that regardless of what I say or do, it is a lost cause... someone, somewhere is going to spin the narrative to their liking and create more division. As an artist it has become almost impossible to stay focussed on your craft and do what you love. I try to be mindful of everyone's sentiments but it has gotten to a point where we have to second and triple guess our every move due to fear of unintentionally fuelling even more division.

Special interest and political groups constantly use our (artists') public image as a chess piece to further their agenda, while we are just trying to make art that helps people on individual level, regardless of their colour, race, religion, nationality, gender etc. Spread love not hate. Let's start thinking for ourselves and not let hateful influences program our beliefs. We are ALL one. let's not let man-made social constructs divide us. Division has gotten us to this point but unity is the key to the future...

Karan Aujla: Sharing Shubh's post, the White Brown Black singer wrote, "Eh duniya da Dastoor A Parwa na kri VR" (This is nature's law, don't worry about it)

Rapper Dino: "@shubhworldwide is a great artist. It's unfortunate that his concert got cancelled. Anyway, next time jab hoga I will be in the front row bro," the former Khatron Ke Khiladi contestant had written on his Instagram stories. However, as soon as he started receiving backlash, the rapper deleted his post. He also shared an apology later and wrote, "I sincerely apologise for the story I posted earlier today. I had absolutely no idea what had happened in the last 2days and was only expressing sadness for another artist. Please pardon my ignorance."

"India is my home, my motherland and has given me everything and made me who I am. I apologise for any hurt I have caused my brothers and sisters from India and my fans across the world," he added.

Sidhu Moosewala: Late Sidhu Moosewala's social media account also shared a post in support of Shubh. "In recent weeks we have observed a growing sense of tension within our Sikh community. Being a minority in India is undoubtedly a challenging experience. The animosity directed towards our community appears to be politically motivated and it is astonishing how numerous celebrities become ensnared in this divisive narrative. Sidhu consistently advocated for his people, only to be unjustly labelled a terrorist without any substantiated evidence. Regrettably, a similar fate has befallen Shubh."

Garry Sandhu: Garry Sandhu also shared a video supporting Shubh and it didn't take social media too long to label his as a "khalistan supporter".