Amid speculations over fugitive Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh’s whereabouts, the ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief on Wednesday released a video claiming he was fine and managed to escape despite the heavy police deployment for his capture.
Wearing a black turban and shawl, in the over two minute video Amritpal questioned the police strategy to arrest him saying the police could have come to his house for the same and he would have courted arrest.
“We (Sikhs) need to understand, this isn’t about my arrest alone. This is an attack on the Sikh community as a whole. I was not afraid of being arrested earlier and I am not afraid now,” he said, adding the Punjab government has crossed all limits of oppression.
“They have framed Sikh youngsters and put them in jails. They didn’t even spare women and children. This is similar to what Beant Singh’s government did in Punjab,” Amritpal added.
Terming the police crackdown against him and supporters as an injustice, Amritpal urged Sikhs to not to be bowed down by it. He called on the community members to gather in big numbers at Sarbat Khalsa at Damdama Sahib on the occasion of Baisakhi. He urged the Akal Takht Jathedar to lead this event.
While the Akal Takht is the highest seat of authority for the Sikhs and its Jathedar their top spokesperson, Sarbat Khalsa’ is a meeting which is attended by various Sikh organisations to discuss the issues related to the community. After the discussion, the jathedar of the Akal Takht directs the community to follow the solutions discussed in the meeting.
Amritpal appealed to all Sikh organisations from the country and abroad to come and discuss issues related to the community. He also spoke about his associates who have been sent to Assam after their arrest.
“For a long time, our community has been struggling through small protests and morchas. If we have to get our arrested youth out, we have to do this. People like Pardhan Mantri Bajeke and other such youth have been slapped with NSA (National Security Act) for no reason. Speaking out against this injustice is our religious duty. The secessionist campaigner said as far as his arrest is concerned, “ it is up to God”.
Amritpal said he was fine and in high spirits (Chardi Kala). He said due to the blessings of the Waheguru, he was able to escape from the clutches of the police. He also slammed the Punjab Police for arresting Sikh youths during a crackdown against him.
The video appeared days after the Punjab Police launched a crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal and his supporters on 18 March.