Is separatist Amritpal Singh following Bhindranwale’s script to fulfill his nefarious Khalistani dreams?

On February 23, tension gripped Ajnala, Amritsar, as the supporters of pro-Khalistani self-proclaimed religious leader Amritpal Singh surrounded the Police station in massive numbers. Notably, Singh is the president of Waris Punjab De, an organisation that was started by pro-Khalistani actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu who died in a road accident last year.

In the now-viral videos of the incident, a large number of Singh’s followers can be seen attacking the Police with swords and breaking barricades. As per reports, they managed to take over the police station as the police present to control the situation were overwhelmed.

Singh’s followers had congregated in the morning to hold a demonstration at Ajnala police station concerning an FIR lodged against Amritpal and associates. To impede them from arriving at the station, Police barricaded the area with additional forces from five districts. Yesterday, Amritpal Singh had called his supporters to come in large numbers to the Police Station at 11 AM, where he was scheduled to appear and demand the cancellation of the FIR.

The supporters of Amritpal Singh opposed the arrest of Amritpal’s close aide Lovepreet Toofan.

In the now-viral videos of the incident, a large number of Singh’s followers can be seen attacking the Police with swords and breaking barricades. As per reports, they managed to take over the police station as the police present to control the situation were overwhelmed.

A few days ago, a complaint was filed by Varinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib, accusing Amritpal and his gang of abducting and attacking him when he was present in Ajnala for a spiritual event. Amritpal denied the accusations and claimed that the case was registered against him and his followers on the complaint of a “mentally unstable” person who had made derogatory statements against his jatha.

In a statement to the media, Singh said FIR was registered against him with a political motive. “If they do not cancel the case in one hour, the administration will be responsible for whatever happens next,” he added. Furthermore, he threatened to show strength.

Amritpal Singh’s rise has a striking similarity to Bhindranwale.

In December last year, OpIndia published a report that compares the rise of Amripal Singh to that of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The way Amritpal gained popularity soon after taking over Waris Punjab De was similar to how Bhindranwale gained popularity after preaching in the late 1980s.

Bhindranwale drew crowds with the call against drugs and so-called social evils with a demand for a separate Sikh nation. Amritpal Singh is following in his footsteps and doing exactly the same.

Not to forget, when Khalistanis killed Lala Jagat Narain in September 1981, an arrest warrant was issued against Bhindranwale. The Punjab Police got information that Bhindranwale was in Haryana. When they reached the Gurudwara where he was staying, the Police got into a clash with his supporters. Notably, by the time the Police reached, Bhindranwale had already escaped.

Three senior police officers negotiated with Bhindranwale, who then agreed to surrender to the Police on September 20, 1981, at 1 PM. However, he added a condition that he and other religious leaders would address his followers before the arrest. The Police hesitated but agreed to the demand. Before the arrest, Bhindranwale gave a fierce speech attacking the Punjab Police and the state and central government. He “urged” his followers to remain calm.

Recently, Amritpal Singh issued a death threat to Home Minister Amit Shah and insinuated if his group is stopped, HM Shah might face the same fate as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

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(The story first appeared in OpIndia under a different heading and has been reproduced with permission. Original story can be accessed here.)