Weeks after being booked for sedition, UK-based Punjabi rapper Taran Kaur Dhillon, popularly known as Hard Kaur, has joined the secessionist “Referendum 2020” campaign being run by the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for a separate homeland for Sikhs in Punjab.
India banned the pro-Khalistan group SFJ for its alleged anti-national activities last week.
In a number of videos posted on social media four days ago, Kaur is seen supporting the referendum and appealing people not to be “fooled” by those who oppose Khalistan.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by HARDKAUR🦅 THE LANKESH (@officialhardkaur) on Jul 14, 2019 at 1:33pm PDT
In another video, she is seen wearing a “Punjab Referendum 2020 Khalistan” T-shirt and grooving to a song sung by traditional Sikh singer Tarsem Singh Moranwali in praise of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by HARDKAUR🦅 THE LANKESH (@officialhardkaur) on Jul 12, 2019 at 12:56pm PDT
She is a vocal critic of the ruling government and often criticises them in her posts on social media.
In June, Kaur was charged under various IPC sections such as sedition and defamation for her social media posts against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat. She had called called Adityanath “Orange rapeman” and Bhagwat a “racist murderer”.
Kaur was born in India and now lives in the United Kingdom. She is known for her Punjabi rap renditions and has featured in many Bollywood songs.