An old social media post in which he shared an incorrect map of India sparked controversy. Shubh was accused of supporting Khalistan in the 1980s, a sensitive issue in India.

Apart from having the largest Sikh population outside of Punjab, Canada also has a large community of Punjabi diaspora musicians who tour, produce or simply perform in India.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau started the diplomatic row by saying his country has “credible allegations” linking the Indian government to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader. It has been denied by India and to Canadians. Shubh has asked people not to label every Punjabi as a separatist or anti-national, but he still faces criticism and some Indian cricketers have unfollowed him – including former captain Virat Kohli. In addition to Shubh, another Indo-Canadian rapper, AP Dhillon, who has millions of fans, also faced boycott calls after he posted about musicians having to “second and triple guess our every move” after Shubh’s concert was canceled.

Over the past decade, Shubh and Dhillon have taken the Punjabi music industry by storm with their hip-hop music. Sikh diaspora as well as a broader audience, they often top international music charts with songs steeped in funk, hip-hop, and hard rock. Diljit Dosanjh became the first Punjabi to perform at Coachella earlier this year.