Sidhu Moosewala joins Congress: Here's all you need to know about the Punjabi rapper

Popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala on Friday joined the Congress in Chandigarh. State Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu along with Punjab transport minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring welcomed the singer into the party, just days ahead of the Punjab Assembly election. The 28-year-old Punjabi singer is all set to contest in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls. For the unversed, here’s all you need to know about Sidhu Moosewala: Born on 17 June 1993, Sidhu Moosewala was originally named Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu. He belongs to the Moosewala village which is situated in Punjab’s Mansa district. Hugely popular for his gangster raps, the singer also holds a degree in electrical engineering. His mother was a village sarpanch, as per reports. He learnt music during his college days and has a fan following that runs into millions today. After completing his education, he moved to Canada for better prospects. While he was starting his career in the field of music, he wrote a song titled as Licence which was sung by Ninja. This track kicked off his career into the industry as a songwriter and singer. He began his career as a duet singer with the track  G Wagon. Since then, he has climbed on to greater heights in the entertainment industry and has released several chartbusters. He was supportive of the farmers’ protests over the three farm laws and even visited the Tikri border and lent his support to the agitation. Moosewala is also recognised as one of the most controversial singers in the state as he openly promotes glorification of gangsters and gun culture through his provocative songs. In September 2019, his song Jatti Jeonay Morh Di Bandook Wargi kicked off a debate due to its reference to 18th century Sikh warrior Mai Bhago. People accused him of showing the Sikh warrior in a poor light. As criticism grew around the song, the singer later tendered an apology for it. Then in July 2020, another song of Moosewala called Sanju similarly kicked off a controversy. In the song, he had compared himself with Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt. However, the song was released after the singer got bail in the AK-47 firing case. In May last year, a case under Arms act was registered against him after a clip showed him shooting at a firing range in a Barnala village. The video went viral on social media but later, a Sangrur court granted him bail.