Supporters of pro-Khalistan Sikh leader Amritpal Singh on Thursday launched a major protest against an FIR against their leader and the arrest of two of his aides. Supporters of the self-styled preacher blocked the Jalandhar-Amritsar National Highway near Dhilwan toll plaza in Punjab’s Kapurthala. Supporters armed with swords and guns also broke barricades outside the Ajnala PS in Amritsar, demanding that the FIR against their leader be withdrawn and his supporters released.
The blockade of the national highway has resulted in significant traffic snarls with long queues running into several kilometres, reported The Indian Express. The police said they were diverting traffic and trying to resolve the issue at the earliest. Amritpal Singh heads the organisation ‘Waris Pathan De’ founded by Deep Sidhu who died in a car accident last year.
What is the case against Amritpal Singh?
A controversial figure, Amritpal Singh was recently booked on charges of kidnapping, theft and voluntarily causing hurt and is likely to be arrested. Amritpal and several others have been booked for allegedly abducting one Barinder Singh, who alleged that people with links to Amritpal had abducted him from Ajnala, where he had gone to attend a religious programme recently.
Amritpal Singh also issued a threat to Union Home minister Amit Shah, warning him of the “same fate as Indira Gandhi” at the death anniversary of ‘Waris Pathan De’ founder Deep Sidhu. “Indira tried to suppress, what happened? Now Amit Shah can fulfill his wish and see,” Singh said when asked about Shah’s recent statement that the MHA is keeping a close eye on Khalistani supporters in Punjab.
“We are asking for our right…For over 500 years, our forefathers have shed their blood on this land. So many people made sacrifices. We are claimants of this land. Nobody can snatch our claim. Neither Indira could remove it, nor could Modi or Amit Shah remove it. Let the armies from all over the world come. We will die, but we will not give up our claim,” he said.