Less than 24 hours after his security cover was withdrawn by the Punjab government, singer-turned-actor-politician Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead near his ancestral village Moosa in Mansa, Punjab. He was 27 years old.
Moosewala was traveling in his vehicle with two friends when the assailants opened fire at them, police said. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead, IANS reported.
Moosewala, who created a niche for himself with his unique rapping style, was known for hits like ‘Legend’, ‘Devil’, ‘Just listen’, ‘Jatt da Muqabala’ and ‘Hathyar’. A controversial artiste who was facing charges of promoting violence and gun culture in his song ‘Sanju’, Moosewala joined the Congress Dec 3, 2021 and made his electoral debut as a candidate from Mansa in the assembly election in Feb this year.
He was trounced by Aam Aadmi Party candidate Vijay Singla by a margin of 63,323 votes. Singla, who went on to become the state’s health minister, was sacked last week on charges of corruption by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Moosewala, who was often caught on the wrong side of the law but also broke several records, did not mind singing couplets of his songs and posing for selfies with the electorate, largely first-timers, during campaigning. With assets of Rs 7.87 crore as per his nomination affidavit, the singer-turned-politician, who loved to ride in an open SUV, was facing four criminal cases, including two for obscene scenes.
Moosewala created a stir by allegedly misusing the name of 18th century Sikh warrior Mai Bhago in his track ‘Jatti Jeonay Morh Di Bandook Wargi’ with Sikh religious organizations demanding his arrest for hurting their sentiments. He later apologized.
He played the protagonist in the Punjabi film Moosa Jatt. His second film Yes I Am Student shed light on the hardship of international students and inspired them never to lose hope.
Many of his songs featured in the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 charts. “I am not entering politics for status or to earn praise,” Moosewala, who went to Canada in 2016 as an international student, had said the day he joined politics. “I want to become a part of the system to transform it. I am joining the Congress to raise the voice of the people. I am joining the Congress as the party has leaders who have come from common families.”
