Indian playback singer Jubin Nautiyal drew the ire of social media users after it came to light that the organiser of his music concert in Houston in Texas is allegedly an absconding criminal who used to be associated with a banned Khalistani outfit.
A Facebook post has been doing the rounds of the internet where an ISI agent named Rehan Siddiqui was seen heaving praises on the 33-year-old singer. “My favourite singer is coming to Houston. Good shows are worth the wait. Let’s begin its officially show time,” the post read.
Siddiqui further added, “Great job Jai Singh. Looking forward for your amazing presentation.” Jai Singh, the organiser of Nautiyal’s event, has been absconding from India for the past 30 years.
In January 2019, The Quint reported that Jai fled India and settled in Fermont city in the California State of the US. He is wanted at the Chandigarh police stations over serious charges of drug smuggling and video piracy.
He was associated with a banned Khalistani outfit in Punjab and has been providing logistical support to the Sikh separatist movement from Fermont. He has been accused of committing monetary fraud at the gurdwara, where he stayed.
Rehan Siddiqui, on the other hand, is a Pakistani ISI agent. In June 2020, Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy, informed that Union Home Ministry have blacklisted three individuals including Siddiqui on the recommendations of the Consulate General of India in Houston.
“Further, the Embassy of India in Washington DC and the Consulate General of India in Houston have also been requested to engage with prominent influences, cultural bodies and bona-fide ‘Bollywood affiliated’ local entities to ensure that, appropriate message is conveyed to Indian actors and artists, so that they disassociate themselves from such anti-national elements,” he added.
Following outrage on social media, Rehan Siddiqui pulled down his Facebook post. The Houston event, where Jubin Nautiyal was scheduled to perform on September 23 this year, has allegedly been removed for online ticket sales. Amidst the controversy, the hashtag ‘#ArrestJubinNautiyal went viral on social media.
Announcement for USA & Canada Tour 2022.
— Jubin Nautiyal (@JubinNautiyal) July 19, 2022
JUBIN NAUTIYAL LIVE
USA-CANADA TOUR
September-October 2022
Presented by
Team 4 Entertainment
For more details contact:
Jai Singh: +1 (510) 677-2777 or
Harjinder Gill: +1 (647) 400-6862 pic.twitter.com/fledgfi74y
While the playback singer has not made any statement so far, a tweet dating back to July 19 is still up on his official page. Jubin Nautiyal had announced his music tour of the USA and Canada. He even shared the phone number of Jai Singh, the alleged Khalistani extremist, and asked people to contact him for more details about the event.
The archived version of the contentious tweet can be accessed here.
