Navdeep Singh Jalbehra, hailed by ‘liberals’ as the ‘water cannon man’ during the Delhi agitation, was taken into custody on Sunday for protesting against the police’s action towards Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De. Following his arrest, Jalbehra urged for the resumption of the Shambhu barrier protest in solidarity with the radical activist and Khalistan supporter.
Navdeep gained widespread attention during the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march in November 2020 when he climbed onto a water cannon and redirected it away from the farmers, ultimately turning it off to protect them from police action aimed at preventing the protesters from crossing the Punjab-Haryana border to reach Delhi. Recently, on Sunday, Navdeep posted a video on Facebook in which he called on people to support Amritpal, describing him as a unique warrior: “Individuals like him are not born every day.”
But Navdeep, arrested for demonstrating in favour of a Khalistan supporter, was hailed by the left-leaning liberals as a hero for breaking police barricade and attempting to run over policemen with a speeding tractor-trolley during farmer protests in Delhi in 2020.
How liberals made a hero out of a Khalistani supporter
A raft of self-described liberals, who have been supporting lumpen elements and instigating insurrection against the democratically elected government of the day, had gone into raptures about Navdeep Singh and extolled him as a “water cannon man” for defying police authorities and breaking barricades, endangering the lives of law enforcement officials.
Aditya Menon, a journalist with The Quint and infamous for slandering the Indian armed forces by passing off a 2012 picture from Syria as that from Kashmir, had extolled Navdeep as a young farmer who braved police officials to turn off water cannon tap during the farmers’ protest in Delhi.
Congress leader Dr Shama Mohamed had characterised Navdeep as a young man whose only crime was to turn off the “water cannon” after he was charged with an attempt to murder for running over a police barricade and endangering the lives of the personnel deployed during the 2020 tractor rally in Delhi.
Shyam Meera Singh, unceremoniously sacked from Aaj Tak over disciplinary issues in 2021, too had sung praises for Navdeep Singh after police booked for an attempt to murder charge during the 2020 farmers’ protests.
Jayant Singh, National President of RLD, had glorified Navdeep Singh’s hooliganism as a man trying to awaken the nation’s conscience.
Part-time actor and full-time anarchist, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, dissed the centre for acting against Navdeep Singh for breaking the police barricade and undermining security measures.
Congress loyalist Swara Bhasker, who was accused of inciting communal violence in 2021, raised her voice in support of Navdeep Singh after he was charged with an attempt to murder during the farmers’ protest in 2020.
Amritpal Singh case
Punjab Police on Sunday evening said that pro-Khalistani activist Amritpal Singh is still on the run despite the massive manhunt launched to nab him. Amritpal Singh is absconding since yesterday after the police launched a crackdown on his Waris Punjab De and arrested several members of the organisation.
“Punjab Police is acting within the law. Amritpal Singh is still absconding and not yet arrested,” IGP Sukhchain Gill said in a video message on Sunday late evening. He also requested all citizens to maintain peace and harmony and not panic. “Don’t believe the rumours and false news. Request all citizens to maintain peace and harmony and not panic,” he said.
The clarification by Punjab police after rumours that Amritpal Singh has been arrested and he has been shifted to Dibrugarh in Assam after the Punjab police confirmed that 4 arrested persons were moved to Dibrugarh by a special Indian Air Force plane. They have been lodged at the central jail in eastern Assam town.
