Ajnala Case: Nothing can “stop me from demanding Khalistan” says Amritpal Singh Sandhu
The Ajnala case shows that Khalistani sentiments are again gaining traction in Punjab. After Deep Sidhu, separatists needed a new face of Khalistan and they seem to have found Amritpal Singh.
Amritpal Singh Sandhu is a radical activist who stormed the Ajnala police station in Amritsar on 23rd February with the help of hundreds of his supporters, forcing the Punjab Police to release his associate who had been detained in connection with a case filed against Amritpal and 25 others that resulted in a scuffle and the injuries of several police officers.
The police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the FIR and probe Amritpal’s claim that the case against him and his allies was filed on false pretences.
Amritpal’s supporters conflicted with the police in Ajnala with brandishing swords, lathis, and sticks. After entering the police station, he addressed his supporters and urged them to “remain put peacefully” until his demands were fulfilled.
This is not the opening sequence of RRR; this is the scene just outside Ajnala police station in Amritsar where supporters of Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh are breaking through barricades armed with swords and guns to get a kidnapper released. pic.twitter.com/UGJakOi8ix
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) February 23, 2023
“We should remain together here to secure the associate’s release and have the FIR cancelled. We shall remain here till it does not take place. After we win, we’ll all go to the Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) to thank the Guru”, Amritpal assured his supporters.
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Who is Amritpal Singh?
The 30-year-old separatist leader is from the Amritsar, Punjab, village of Jallupur. Amritpal was simply another Punjabi man influenced by the Western way of life until February 2022, and he didn’t even wear a turban. He used social media while in Dubai, helping in his relative’s transportation company.
When Deep Sidhu passed away in February 2022, everything changed. After his passing, his fans lost all focus. Amritpal Singh, who was keeping an eye on the situation, proclaimed himself the new leader of Waris De Punjab to fill the hole created by Sidhu’s passing.
Deep Sidhu started the group after the protesting farmers’ unions refused him a place. At first, Amritpal Singh’s takeover of the company was opposed by his family.
Amritpal chose Punjab as the basis for advancing his separatist agenda, which was a major factor in his rising fame among supporters of the Khalistani movement. Amritpal was a brave separatist who dared to further his goal from India itself, whereas many separatists, including Gurpatwant Pannu, operated their businesses from foreign nations.
Amritpal believes that if extreme Hindus could call for the formation of a Hindu nation, “what was wrong with calling for the formation of a Sikh nation?” He frequently uses Beant Singh’s brutal murder to promote his cause. He added that the current leadership, including PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, “cannot stop him from demanding Khalistan” because former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi “paid the price” for opposing it.
According to Senior Superintendent of Punjab Police Harpal Singh Randhawa, “the attackers carried weapons such as swords and rifles as well as the Guru Granth Sahib, a holy book for Sikhs, and demanded the release of one of their detained associates. What happened yesterday was wrong. Because Amritpal (Singh) had Guru Granth Sahib with him, Punjab Police stopped from taking action. Everything would have gone wrong if we had responded in kind”. He stated, “We respected Guru Granth Sahib”.
The SSP further stated that “Amritpal had already declared his intention to hold only peaceful dharnas.But, he fooled us. The Punjab Police was attacked by his troops. But since Guru Granth Sahib was in front, we took no action. I want to commend the members of the Punjab Police who showed no retaliation.”
Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh expressed concern over the Ajnala incident.
“This is not only a complete collapse of the law and order situation in Punjab, it is more serious than that,” Former CM said in a statement, while pointing out, the incident would have serious security implications for the state and the country.
Security officials have closely monitored Amritpal Singh’s activities. Despite filing a case against him for rioting and kidnapping, the Punjab Police did not arrest him.
Even though Amritpal received a boost from the Ajnala incident on 23rd January, he dared to publicly target and challenge the government, as evidenced by how he and his supporters stormed the police station. Additionally, he claims that Deep Sidhu was murdered by the government and denies that he died in a traffic accident.
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