Using ‘saroop’ as shield at Ajnala clash was Amritpal Singh's undoing

Tribune News Service

PK Jaiswar

Jallupur Khera (Amritsar), April 23

Till two months ago, the Punjab Police and central agencies were silent observers to the activities of Waris Punjab De head and pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh, who was conducting the “Khalsa Vaheer” yatra with a “palki’ having a saroop of Guru Granth Sahib.

Despite his pro-Khalistan speeches, the programmes addressed by him attracted good response as people were “impressed” with his motive of weaning away youth from drugs and bringing back those into Sikhi fold who had adopted other religions.

However, he started getting criticism after his supporters barged into two gurdwaras in Jalandhar in December last year and damaged furniture protesting against the practice of providing chairs to the elderly or those who could not sit on the floor during the path of Guru Granth Sahib.

Amritpal lost the plot completely when he and his armed supporters stormed the Ajnala police station on February 23, protesting the arrest of his supporter Lovepreet Singh Toofan of Gurdaspur.

The incident left injured six police personnel, including SP Jugraj Singh. The videos of moving palki with Guru Granth Sahib led to widespread condemnation.

Police officials said they did not use force as Amritpal was hiding behind “palki sahib”. Videos showed how aggressively Amritpal was talking to the police officials. The state government, SGPC, Akal Takht and Sikh intellectuals condemned the incident. People also criticised the police for the “meek” surrender.

The police launched a campaign to arrest Amritpal and his supporters on March 18. Nine of his associates were arrested under the National Security Act and then shifted to the Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. Amritpal allegedly received special training from Pakistan’s ISI in Georgia before his arrival in Punjab.

How he lost the plot

• Amritpal Singh started getting criticism after his supporters barged into two gurdwaras in Jalandhar in December last year and damaged furniture there
• He lost the plot completely when he and his armed supporters stormed the Ajnala police station on February 23, protesting the arrest of his supporter Lovepreet Singh Toofan

No crime: Father

• Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh said the family came to know about the arrest from a relative
• Contrary to the police claims, he, along with Amritpal’s mother Balwinder Kaur, said their son had surrendered before the police
• “We were happy that he surrendered in proper Sikhi Saroop. We will fight a legal battle. He has done no crime. He was serving the community by weaning the youth away from drugs,” he said

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