The Twitter account of rapper Hard Kaur was suspended on Tuesday after she posted a video making critical remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
In the 2 minute and 20 seconds long video clip, a man standing near Hard Kaur is seen saying that “on August 15, the Independence Day of India, they will hoist the flag of Khalistan in 15 different countries”.
“She [Kaur] will not be silenced”, the man further said.
In another portion of the video, Hard says, “You [the BJP government] use people to further your agenda”.
It is newsworthy to mention that Khalistan is a prominent separatist movement in the heart of India – Punjab. Several prominent Sikh groups in India have demanded a separate country called Khalistan, comprising Indian Punjab, as a homeland for Sikhs.
However, this is not the first time the internationally acclaimed artist has been booked for criticising the Indian government. In June, Kaur was charged with sedition for her critical comments against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a hardline ruling BJP loyalist, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, another far-right hardliner.
