On Friday, radical preacher Amritpal Singh in Amritsar said that Khalistan should be viewed from an intellectual prism, a day after his supporters – some armed with swords and guns – forcibly entered the Ajnala police station by breaking barricades.
Defending himself and his supporters in the aftermath of the unrest, Singh made a case for Khalistan and its supposed “geopolitical benefits”.
“The pursuit of Khalistan should not be viewed as a negative or taboo concept, but rather from an intellectual standpoint of its potential geopolitical advantages. He also added that Khalistan is an ideology that will never perish and that they are not requesting it from Delhi,” ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Amritpal Singh stated that they have received assurances that the detained individual will be released shortly, pending the completion of necessary legal formalities.
He mentioned that he and his supporters are anticipating the release of Lovepreet Singh by Friday evening. Once released, they plan to offer their respects at the Golden Temple.
Satinder Singh, the Superintendent of Police in Amritsar Rural, informed reporters that the Amritpal side has presented evidence demonstrating that Lovepreet Singh was not present at the location in question, pertaining to the purported kidnapping incident.
“They gave the evidence on Thursday. On the basis of that he is being discharged through the court…We are submitting that evidence to the honourable judge,” the SSP said.
However, the police have remained ambiguous over the action taken in connection with the violence witnessed on Thursday. The police have placed a tight security cordon around the complex. At least three policemen were injured during the clashes on Thursday.
Reportedly, a substantial police presence continues to remain in place as the radical preacher, who has unabashedly supported the secessionist idea of Khalistan, and other demonstrators remained stationed at the Ajnala police station for several hours. Despite this, the police did not take any immediate action.
The Amritsar Police did not immediately disclose on Friday morning whether any charges had been filed against Amritpal Singh or his supporters for the violence that took place on Thursday.
Amritpal Singh’s veiled threat against Amit Shah and the unrest caused in Punjab
The attempt to contextualise the demand for Khalistan by Amritpal Singh comes hot on the heels of a threat issued by him against India’s Home Minister. Earlier this week, on the death anniversary of pro-Khalistani actor-turned-activist and founder of ‘Waris Punjab De’ Deep Sidhu, the current chief of the organization and Sikh leader, Amritpal Singh, issued a veiled threat to Home Minister Amit Shah. Singh visited Budhsingh Wala Village of district Moga in Punjab on February 19 where he insinuated that if HM Shah tried to suppress their voice, he would face a similar fate as Indira Gandhi.
Singh said, “Indira tried to suppress, what happened? Now Amit Shah can fulfil his wish and see”. Notably, HM Shah recently said in a statement that the Home Ministry is keeping an eye on the Khalistani supporters in Punjab. A media representative asked a question to Singh about HM Shah’s statement. In his reply, Singh claimed every child in Punjab talks about Khalistan.
“We are asking for our right, not someone else. For over 500 years, our forefathers have shed their blood on this land. So many people made sacrifices. We are claimants of this land. Nobody can snatch our claim. Neither Indira could remove it, nor could Modi or Amit Shah remove it. Let the armies from all over the world come. We will die, but we will not give up our claim,” he said.
Days later, violence swept Punjab as Amritpal and his supporters attacked the Ajnala police station with lathis, swords, and guns, breaking the police barricades and injuring the law enforcement officials. The protesters took over the police station as they demanded the cancellation of the FIR and the release of Lovepreet Toofan.
Singh’s followers had congregated in the morning to hold a demonstration at Ajnala police station concerning an FIR lodged against Amritpal and associates. To stop them from arriving at the station, Police had barricaded the area with additional forces from five districts. This came a day after Amritpal Singh, the chief of Waris Punjab De, had called his supporters to come in large numbers to the Police Station at 11 AM, where he would appear and demand the cancellation of the FIR.
The organization Waris Punjab De was established by Deep Sidhu, an actor-turned-activist. He gained popularity among pro-Khalistani elements during farmer protests. Sidhu died in a road accident in February 2022. Amritpal Singh was declared head of Waris Punjab De following Sidhu’s death. At that time, Singh was in Dubai. In September 2022, he returned to India and officially took charge of the organization. Since that day, he has been preaching Sikhism in Punjab and connecting with the youth. Armed guards accompany him everywhere, and there is a striking resemblance between how he preaches and how Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale preached Sikhism during his initial days as a Sikh leader.
