Fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh’s call for Sarbat Khalsa has failed to gain the support from the Sikh community, including the highest Sikh authority – Shri Akal Takht Sahib.
On March 29, 2023, the fugitive Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh who is being chased by the Punjab Police and other law enforcement agencies appeared in a video asking the people of the Sikh Community to unite and call for ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ i.e., an assembly of all factions of the Sikhs (Khalsa).
Amritpal Singh shared the video on YouTube saying, he will not surrender. He also shared a video where he went live on Facebook on March 30. In the new video, he called for Sarbat Khalsa on Baisakhi. The Punjab police is yet to arrest the Khalistani leader Singh, it has been more than 20 days since the crackdown began.
He used a phone and went live on the Facebook page of Sikh Channel around 9 pm. His earlier video and audio were pre-recorded. In his 40-minute video, Amritpal Singh is trying to provoke the youth as he demanded to call Sarbat Khalsa on the occasion of Baisakhi.
He began the video by saying, many believe that the last video was made during the police custody but it was not, as he will not surrender.
“I am appearing in front of you for the first time since March 18. First I want to talk about the action of the Punjab Government. If their intention would have been only to arrest me, then they could have simply done it and I would have surrendered… but instead of that they tried to do it by force… and it was due to the blessings of God, we are able to escape… when the internet was shut down, we were not able to communicate and didn’t know what was going around… I would like to thank all who came in front to support us…,” said Amritpal Singh.
Sarbat Khalsa is a meeting called by various Sikh organisations to solve the sectarian crisis. On this occasion, cult organisations discuss ideas to find a solution to the crisis and whatever decision is taken, the Jathedar of Takht Sahib orders the community to follow it.
Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib announced a Gurumati Programme dedicated to Khalsa Sajna Diwas and Baisakhi from April 12-15, 2023 at Takht Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sabo which ruled out the possibility of a Sarbat Khalsa on Baisakhi as demanded by Amritpal Singh.
The Punjab Police claims that Amritpal must be hiding somewhere in Punjab and is trying to garner support in the name of religion. If sources are to be believed, the police are searching 300 deras in Punjab to nab Amritpal. Several searches were undertaken by the Punjab Police in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Bhatinda.
The borders of Punjab and districts bordering Nepal are under high alert.
The Punjab Police had arrested 360 aides of Amritpal last month. On April 3, 2023, the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh issued an ultimatum to the Punjab Government to release all those who were arrested during the ongoing crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his outfit Waris Punjab De.
Punjab Police is still unaware of Amritpal Singh’s location, who is on run. Several photos and videos of the radical leader have surfaced over the past few days in which he has been spotted at various locations in northern India and is still out at large.
The crackdown on his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’ started weeks after Amritpal Singh’s supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, near Amritsar, to secure the release of one his close aide Lovepreet Toofan.
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