Supporters of ‘Waris Punjab De’ Chief Amritpal Singh break through police barricades with swords and guns outside Ajnala Police Station in Amritsar. They’ve gathered outside the Police Station in order to protest against the arrest of his (Amritpal Singh) close aide Lovepreet Toofan.
Today morning, (February 23) Amritpal Singh has asked his supporters to reach Ajnala after seeing the huge gathering by the police.
It is to be noted that the police administration in Amritsar had made strict security arrangements. Special blockade was done at the places leading to Ajnala Police Station from different routes. A heavy police force was deployed so that Amritpal’s supporters could not reach outside Ajnala police station but all the police arrangements proved inadequate.
Amritpal himself did not reach outside the Ajnala police station but his supporters reached there.
The Ajnala police in the morning took some of his supporters into the custody but later, when SSP Amritsar Dehat reached the spot, the detained supporters were released.
An atmosphere of tension is prevailed in Ajnala and its surrounding areas.
Amritpal Singh had warned that if the FIR filed against him and his associates was not revoked by Wednesday evening (February 22), he along with his supporters would reach to lay siege to Ajnala police station.
Recently the Pro- Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh was heard threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He said that Home Minister would have the same fate as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi if he tried to stop the Khalistani movement. He said, “Indira tried to deal with us in her own way; what happened? Now if Home Minister wants to fulfil his desire, let him try this.”
Amritpal Singh’s threat came in response to Amit Shah’s statements about the Government keeping a close watch on the Khalistani supporters and that the Government will not let the Khalistanis flourish.
Amritpal Singh is the current chief of (Late) Deep Sidhu’s organisation’ Waris Punjab De’, which he took over in September 2022. Since taking over Sidhu’s organisation, Amritpal Singh has witnessed a steep rise in popularity with his anti-government, pro-Khalistani stance and conspiracy theories.
He continues to dispute Sidhu’s death, claiming that the “Indian government killed him (Deep Sidhu)”, even though his girlfriend, Reena Rai, released her statement stating that Sidhu’s overspeeding caused the accident.
Amritpal Singh and five aides have been charged with kidnapping, theft, rioting, causing injury and unlawful assembly based on a complaint filed by his former aide, Varinder Singh. The complainant has alleged that Amritpal Singh and his armed men kidnapped and beat him up.
The police have arrested one accused and continue to conduct raids for rest. Amit Shah’s statement and the police action against the Khalistanis have irked Amritpal Singh and his supporters.
He announced an open war against the Indian Government and said, “Yesterday (Feb 20), one of our men was arrested and sent to a day’s remand. I want to tell the administration that they should not compel us to go beyond the limit. We will sit together next Wednesday to decide our future course of action.”
He continued, “I want to tell the Government that if they want to arrest me, they should tell me the place. While on one hand, the Government is saying they are searching for me, on the other, they know where I was, then why they were telling lies that they were conducting raids.”
Amritpal Singh’s fascination with Khalistani leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is no secret. In an interview with ThePrint, he called Bhindranwale an “inspiration” and continued to state, “We wanted to celebrate Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a youth icon. We wanted to give the state a message that no matter how evil they portray him as he will always be our hero.”
Often dubbed Bhindranwale 2.0, Amritpal Singh has said, “Bhindranwale is my inspiration. I will walk the path shown by him. I want to be like him because that’s what every Sikh wants, but I am not copying him. I am not even equal to dust of his feet.”
