YOUTUBE has removed a viral music video in India released posthumously by murdered Sikh rapper Sidhu Moose Wala following a complaint by the government.

The song SYL talks about the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, which has been at the centre of a long-running water dispute between the late rapper’s home state of Punjab and neighbouring Haryana.

The track, released posthumously on Thursday, also touches on other sensitive topics such as deadly riots targeting the Sikh community that broke out in India in 1984 and storming of an important Sikh temple in Amritsar by the army the same year.

It had garnered almost 30 million views and 3.3 million likes on YouTube before it was pulled down over the weekend.

“This content is not available on this country domain due to a legal complaint from the government,” said a message posted on the song link.

The song is still available in other countries.

A YouTube spokesman, in an email to AFP, said the platform has only removed the song in “keeping with local laws and our Terms of Service after a thorough review”.

The government did not immediately respond to enquiries.

Moose Wala’s family termed the removal of the song “unjust” and appealed to the government to take back the complaint, said local media reports.

“They can ban the song but they cannot take Sidhu out of the hearts of the people. We will discuss legal options with lawyers,” said uncle Chamkaur Singh, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

Moose Wala – also known by his birth name Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu – was shot dead in his car in the northern state of Punjab last month.

The 28-year-old was a popular musician in India and among Punjabi communities abroad, especially in Britain and Canada.

His death sparked anger and outrage from fans from across the world.

Indian police last week arrested three men accused of murdering Moose Wala and seized a cache of weaponry, including a grenade launcher.

The men allegedly acted at the behest of Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar and his accomplice Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in jail in India.

Moose Wala rose to fame with catchy songs that attacked rival rappers and politicians, portraying himself as a man who fought for the pride of his community, delivered justice and gunned down enemies.

He was criticised for promoting gun culture through his music videos, in which he regularly posed with firearms.

His murder also put the spotlight on organised crime in Punjab, a major transit route for drugs entering India from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Many observers linked the narcotics trade – mostly heroin and opium – to an uptick in gang-related violence and the use of illegal arms in the state. – AFP, June 27, 2022.