Indian singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known by his stage name Sidhu Moosewala, who had joined the Congress party before the Punjab Assembly elections in December last year, has been shot dead in the state, according to The Indian Express.
Two others were also injured in the incident at Jawaharke in Mansa district in which more than 30 rounds were fired on Sunday. Moosewala was rushed to the civil hospital in Mansa in a critical condition where he was declared dead, reports The Hindustan Times.
The incident happened a day after the Punjab police ordered the withdrawal of security of his security along with more than 420 people, including former lawmakers, Jathedars of two Takhts, heads of Deras (social welfare and spiritual organisation), and police officers.
Moosewala had contested the state polls on a Congress ticket from Mansa district.
He was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party's Dr Vijay Singla with a margin of 63,323 votes. Hailing from Moosa, a village in Mansa district, Moose Wala had joined the Congress amid much fanfare in November last year.
With Congress granting him the party ticket from the Mansa Assembly constituency, then sitting lawmaker, Nazar Singh Manshahia, had revolted against the party saying that he would oppose the candidature of the controversial singer.
Moosewala was booked by the Punjab police in 2020 under the Arms Act on charges of promoting violence and gun culture in one of his songs. Before that, he was booked in another case after photographs of him firing an AK47 rifle at a firing range during the Covid-19 pandemic went viral on social media.