Chandigarh: The detention of the newly-elected MP from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat and nine others who are currently lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), has been extended for a year.
It may be recalled that the detention of Singh, 31, who headed outfit "Waris Punjab De’’ (WPD), and three of his associates were to expire on July 24, the detention of his six other aides was to end on June 18.
It may be recalled that it was on April 23, 2023, that the pro-Khalistan radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who was on the run since March 18, had courted arrest to Punjab police after coming out of Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sant Khalsa in the Rode village of Moga district; Rode is the native village of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Amritpal was subsequently flown to Assam subsequently to Assam jail where nine of his close aides had already been lodged.
It may be recalled that Amritpal was on run after the Punjab police launched in the massive crackdown on him and his supporters associated with WPD on March 18 after they had stormed the Ajnala police station in Amritsar, injuring many police personnel, demanding release of one of his aides booked in a case of assault and abduction, on February 23. He was declared a fugitive and a look-out circular (LoC) was issued besides a non-bailable warrant against him, since. He and his aides were also thus booked under NSA.
However, Singh, who contested the recently held general elections from the Dibrugarh jail in absentia, won the Khadoor Sahib seat with a huge margin. He was besides another radical candidate, Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, 45, who is son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh, who has also won from Faridkot seat by a huge margin.
Khadoor Sahib is traditionally a Panthic seat with the highest number of Sikh voters (about 75%). The campaigning for Amritpal was primarily done by his parents and supporters and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) the then incumbent MP from Sangrur seat, Simranjit Singh Mann, also, pro-Khalistan leader, had withdrawn his candidate in support of Amritpal.
Amritpal’s supporters portrayed him as an ``anti-drug crusader’’ and recalled the campaigns he aggressively conducted, which were primarily against the drugs, rampant across the state. They also laud the ``amrit sanchar’’ (Sikh initiation ceremony) conducted by the radical Sikh preacher.
