The India-Canada dispute came in the limelight last week. A Punjabi-Canadian singer, Shubhneet Singh, also called Shubh, made a related controversial social media post, and a Twitter user shared the screenshot of Shub’s decreased fan following. So, this article highlights the effects of Shubh’s controversial post, especially on his Instagram fan following.
Born in Punjab, India, Shubh is a 26-year-old Canada-based singer who predominantly sings in Punjabi. He has a large fan following in the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. His most-streamed track is Baller with music producer Ikky.
Shubh released his debut album, Still Rollin, in 2023. Till then, he released his singles from 2021. His singles include Don’t Look, We Rollin, No Love, Her, and Baller. He released one more single, One Love, in August 2023. He was about to have his ‘Still Rolling’ tour across ten Indian cities in August, but it was canceled.
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Shubh’s Controversial Post And Its Results
Authorities shut down internet and SMS services in Punjab to search for Amritpal Singh, accused of disturbing social harmony and preacher of the Khalistani separatist group, Waris Punjab De (it means heirs of Punjab). According to certain media, they want a separate homeland for Sikhs called Khalistan.
An artist named ‘Inkquisitive,’ whose real name is Amandeep Singh, shared an image supposedly highlighting the shutdown in Punjab on a distorted map of India with a policeman holding the power cord. Shubh shared the same photo on Instagram on 22 March 2023. Moreover, he wrote ‘Pray For Punjab’ in the post.
Thus, Shubh was accused of being a Khalistani sympathizer and faced a widespread backlash. He was supposed to go on a three-month India tour sponsored by boAt and supported by Book My Show. The latter was on the verge of getting boycotted for supporting the accused Khalistani sympathizer’s tour.
Concerned Twitter users shared #UninstallBookMyShow. Thus, Shubh’s India tour was canceled by a ticket-booking app, Book My Show. Moreover, the tech company boAt withdrew its sponsorship of his tour.
An Indian actress, Kangana Ranaut, opposed Shubh for his Instagram story, asking for legal action against him. Indian cricketers such as Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and KL Rahul reportedly unfollowed Shubh on Instagram.
The Indian rapper-singer based in Canada, Shubh, was supposed to perform at an event on a cruise ship in Mumbai from 23 to 25 September. The President of BJYM (Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha) (Mumbai), Tajinder Singh Tiwana, issued a memorandum to the event organizers and Mumbai police regarding his team’s decision not to allow the ‘traitor Canadian singer’ to perform in Mumbai.
Cordelia Cruise, the cruise ship on which Shubh was supposed to perform, has a parent company, Waterways Leisure Tourism, which canceled the event to express opposition to any anti-national sentiment. ShareChat, the messaging platform, owns a video-sharing app called ‘Moj.’
ShareChat removed Shubh’s music from Moj, stating that they will not support an artist who causes disagreements between the people.
Shubh’s Instagram Fan Following
On 23 September, a Twitter user shared a screenshot regarding a dip from 4 million to 1.1 million in Shubh’s Instagram fan following, supposedly due to the controversy. However, it turned fake after an analysis.
After conducting a Google Reverse Image search, the PTI Desk found the same screenshot (regarding a dip in Shubh’s fan following) shared by a Facebook user on 22 September.
A custom Google search with specified keywords did not help the Desk. So, they analyzed Shubh’s Instagram account. They used an app called InsTrack that deeply tracks Instagram accounts. Accordingly, the Desk found a 54.9% increase in Shubh’s fan following in the past thirty days and an 88.8% increase in the past ninety days.
Shubh had 1 million Instagram followers on 26 August, 1.5 million on 22 September, 1.3 million on 23 September, and 1.6 million on 24 September. Another app might reveal quite different figures. However, we can conclude that Shubh’s Instagram fan following went to over 1.5 million in the past few days.
According to the analysis, four million Instagram users never followed Shubh, and his fan following increased amid the controversy. Thus, the allegation made by the Twitter user on 23 September 2023, showing a dip in his fan following, is fake, and the screenshot addressing the dip was altered digitally.
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