The last ride: Talha Yunus to AP Dhillon, celebrities mourn Sidhu Moose Wala's tragic demise

Singer sustained more than eight bullet injuries in target killing that took his life on Sunday.

Noted Indian singer and politician Sidhu Moose Wala, who had joined the Congress before the Punjab elections, was shot dead on Sunday by gangsters in an attack near his ancestral village Jawaharke in district Mansa, Punjab, reported the Times of India. The incident occurred within 24 hours after his security was withdrawn by the Punjab government. More than 30 rounds were fired at the vehicle he was travelling in. Police said Sidhu appeared to have sustained more than eight bullet injuries and was taken to the Mansa civil hospital where he passed away.

Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for the killing, as per The Indian Express. He alleged that he, along with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi had engineered his assassination. Now, many in India and Pakistan are mourning the loss and cannot believe a man who stood up for so many, has fallen so tragically.

The Wire reported that Moose Wala’s fan-following was in the "millions", extending all the way to countries such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia. "He was famous for his rap songs with hard-hitting, sarcastic content which asked questions about society, politicians, religious leaders, rival singers and spoke of the country’s problems," the report added. Indian politicians condemned the news and extended their condolences at the tragedy. "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the gruesome murder of Siddhu Moose Wala. Nobody involved will be spared," said Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Celebrities extend condolences

Junoon guitarist Salman Ahmad took to Twitter to say a prayer for the deceased, “Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return." Young Stunners’ Talha Yunus tweeted, “Another legend gone too soon.” Rapper and actor Ahmed Ali Butt shared the report of Moose Wala’s death to write, “Oh man, this is sad.” Actor and content creator Shahveer Jafry took to the micro-blogging site to assert the singer has "our hearts".

Actor and model Saadia Khan shared, "Life is so unpredictable. Sidhu Moose Wala sent me this video of his friend two months ago and today (Sunday) I saw this terrible news that he is no more. Prayers and strength for the family." Singer Shamoon Ismail posted So High, one of Moosewala's many hits to his Instagram Stories, to write, “Rest in peace.”

Celebrities in India, albeit, are in a state of shock. Rapper Roach Killa called it a “black day” for the entertainment industry. “So shocked. This is sad, black day for the industry.” Shahid Kapoor called Moose Wala’s death “tragic”. Anil Kapoor penned, “Extremely shocking and sad news…such a talented young life tragically ended too soon. Sending my heart felt prayers to the family.”

Sanjay Dutt tweeted, "Shocked and devastated to hear about Sidhu Moose Wala, a great talent gone too soon. May Waheguru give his family and loved ones strength in this tragic time. Rest in peace!" Vishal Dadlani tweeted, "I only knew #SidhuMoosewala through his music, yet the news of his demise has cut deep. India has very few authentic modern artists. He was right on top of that list. I'm without words. He's a legend, his voice, his courage & his words will never be forgotten. What a sad day!"

Actor Sidharth Malhotra shared a photo of the late singer on his Instagram stories and called it a "tragic loss" with condolences for his family and fans. Rapper AP Dhillon, on the other hand, shared the struggles of Punjabi artists with reference to Moose Wala's death. He wrote, "Most people will never know the extent of what you have to deal with as a Punjabi artist behind the scenes on a daily basis. With the constant judgement, hate-filled comments, threats and negative energy directed towards people like us who are just doing what we love to do. I always admired how Sidhu was able to rise above it all. He made it look easy and stayed true to himself."

Comedian Lilly Singh penned a long, emotional note dedicated to the singer on Instagram. “Absolutely devastating and upsetting news. To my global audience that may not be familiar, today a young legend in the Punjabi music industry was killed. If you see tribute images of him today, please don’t keep scrolling, but rather take a moment to stream the music of Sidhu Moose Wala. It has often been featured in my content and has always resulted in people asking me, ‘what song is that?!’ Through his revolutionary music, he will live on. Beyond the care he had for his community, he created the soundtrack that made many of us feel seen, a perfect blend of hip hop, rap and folk music.”

Diljit Dosanjh wrote on Instagram, "Heartbreaking news. He was full of talent, something that is difficult to find. It’s going to be very hard for his parents. Hope they cope with the loss. Today is a sad day for our music industry.”

Eerie coincidence?

Fans of the singer feel Moose Wala “foretold his death in his last song”. The song titled The Last Ride was touted to be a tribute to rapper Tupac Shakur, who was shot dead in his car at the age of 25 in 1996. The song’s cover photo was the car Tupac was in that day, and Sidhu had also been killed in his car. One fan wrote, “Irony is the last song Sidhu Moose Wala dropped was the last ride and its cover was 2 pac assassination car, the same way Sidhu is killed.”

The 27-year-old was on the radar of gangsters for a long time, as per the Times of India. Six people have reportedly been detained in connection with the murder. Sidhu's father has demanded the probe through a sitting judge of the high court, handing over investigations to CBI or NIA. Also demanded to fix the responsibility of officers who leaked letters about the withdrawal of security. Now the CM has agreed to all the demand.

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