Amritpal Singh’s supporters, in a shocking act of chaos and lawlessness, stormed a police station in Ajnala, Amritsar, Punjab, on Thursday, to protest the arrest of Amritpal’s close companion Lovepreet Toofan Singh. They were seen donning lathis, swords and guns, in an attempt to intimidate the police force.
The Khalistanis had taken control over the police station for several hours, while the policemen looked on helplessly. No action was taken against the rioters. Punjab Police later cancelled the FIR against Lovepreet Toofan Singh, giving into the demands of the Khalistanis.
After the incident, Punjab Police have now responded with a statement in defence of their inaction, after taking heat for their passivity and caving to the demands of armed anarchists brandishing swords.
According to reports, the police exercised caution and didn’t retaliate against the attack of the Khalistanis, because they did not want to let things spiral out of control and make the already volatile situation worse. The police have said that the gang of Amritpal Singh used the holy Guru Granth Sahib as a shield to attack the police station, as they knew that the police would not want to be accused of sacrilege if something happens to the Granth Sahib in police action.
Senior Superintendent of Punjab Police, Harpal Singh Randhawa in an interview with NDTV, stated that the assailants were not only armed with weapons but also carried Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, which caused the police to ‘back off.’
“What happened yesterday should not have happened. Punjab Police did not retaliate because Amritpal had brought Guru Granth Sahib with him. If we had retaliated, things would have gone awry. We respected Guru Granth Sahib,” the official remarked.
He asserted, that in spite of the separatist leader’s assurances of a quiet protest, his men attacked the police.
“Amritpal had earlier said that he would hold only peaceful dharna. But he cheated us. His men attacked the Punjab Police. But we did not retaliate at all because Guru Granth Sahib was in front. I would like to salute the Punjab Police personnel who did not retaliate,” he said.
#WATCH | Punjab: Supporters of ‘Waris Punjab De’ Chief Amritpal Singh break through police barricades with swords and guns outside Ajnala PS in Amritsar
— ANI (@ANI) February 23, 2023
They’ve gathered outside the PS in order to protest against the arrest of his (Amritpal Singh) close aide Lovepreet Toofan. pic.twitter.com/yhE8XkwYOO
The senior police officer claimed that the cops made the best effort possible, given the circumstances.
“There is a rule of law in Punjab. Amritpal is not above the law. If we had taken even a little action, the situation could have worsened across Punjab. We did what we saw fit. Whatever happened yesterday, action will be taken according to the law,” he added.
Randhawa refuted charges that Thursday’s police response would inspire people like Amritpal Singh who have campaigned for a separate nation of Sikhs called Khalistan and that it was a sign of eroding peace and order under the state’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. He also denied the presence of any separatist movement in the state.
“No Khalistani movement is going to happen in Punjab. People of Punjab, Punjab Police have finished terrorism from Punjab. These are some bad guys. Amritpal is being called wrong everywhere today. We want to assure the whole country that there is rule of law in Punjab,” he proclaimed.
He assured, that the police case against Lovepreet Toofan ‘has not been dropped.’ He declared, “A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted and every person’s role will be probed.”
Jumping to the defense of his party, state minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal commented, “People of Punjab should have faith in chief minister Bhagwant Mann to maintain law and order in the state.”
Ex-Chief Minister of the state, Captain Amarinder Singh also expressed concern over the dramatic episode and alleged, “this is not only a complete collapse of the law and order situation in Punjab, but it is also more serious than that.” He further emphasized that the occurrence had significant security ramifications for both the state and the nation.
Punjab Police had released Lovepreet Toofan claiming, “enough proof of his innocence,” after the violent protest.
It is notable that the allegation of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib is a very sensitive issue in Punjab, and police generally keep their distance from the issue. There have been several murders of people by mobs on the allegations of sacrilege of the holy book or other holy items associated with Sikhism. In most such cases, no police action is taken.
