Days after supporters of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh laid siege on the Ajnala police station in Amritsar, the Union Home Ministry has sought a detailed report about the incident from the Punjab police, reported India Today.
Citing sources, the news report said that the Union government has been in touch with security agencies about the nefarious activities of Amritpal Singh. Meanwhile, the Intelligence Bureau has prepared a report on the recent developments in Punjab and has shared it with officials working at the Union Home Ministry, headed by Amit Shah.
Dubai-returned Amritpal Singh is heading the pro-Khalistan group ‘Waris Punjab De’, which was founded by the late actor and activist Deep Sidhu. A few days ago, Amritpal Singh issued a veiled threat to Home Minister Amit Shah. He said that if Amit 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 fulfill his wish and see”. His threat came after the union home minister had said that the Home Ministry is keeping an eye on the Khalistani supporters in Punjab.
Amritpal Singh became the head of Waris Punjab De following Deep Sidhu’s death in a car accident in February 2022. He came to India in September 2022.
The Background of the Controversy
The Northern State of Punjab has been faced with the imminent threat of revivalism of the Sikh separatist movement aka Khalistan, following the meteoric rise of radical preacher Amritpal Singh.
On Thursday (February 24), his frenzied supporters broke through the barricades and attacked the Ajnala police station. Cops, on duty, had to brave attacks from Amritpal Singh’s radical followers who were equipped using lathis, swords, and even guns.
The police were quick to give in and release Singh’s aide, Lovepreet Toofan, even though he was arrested a few days earlier on February 18 in connection to a kidnapping and assault case.
The complete breakdown of the law and order apparatus in the State and the failure of the Punjab police were visible from the footage of the clash. But this did not stop Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann from falsely claiming that the situation was under control in the Northern State.
Even the Punjab police did not shy away from making bizarre excuses to justify their failure in taming the violent mob, saying that they didn’t retaliate because the mob was carrying the Guru Granth Sahib and Palki Sahib. The Instagram account of Amritpal Singh, who heads the Khalistani outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’, has now been withheld in India.