KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
25-Apr-2023
According to Punjab Police’s dossier, the arrested Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh attempted to wage war against the state for Khalistan, even warned Union Home Minister Amit Shah against putting any obstacle to his goal of creating a separate Sikh nation, and gave provocative speeches that promoted enmity among people of different faiths and languages.
25-Apr-2023
Two days after arresting pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal from outside a gurudwara in Moga, the Punjab Police on April 25 conducted a special check at gurdwaras, temples and churches to review the security arrangements and make sure that CCTV cameras were installed and working. The review was conducted across all 28 police districts in the state, as per the directive of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
25-Apr-2023
Parkash Singh Badal, the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and former Chief Minister of Punjab, died at the age of 95 at Fortis Hospital in Mohali on April 25.
25-Apr-2023
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) expressed deep condolences on the passing away of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief patron and former five-time Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal.
25-Apr-2023
Police arrested one person, identified as Sokha along with 1 kg of heroin in his possession near Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district on April 25.
25-Apr-2023
Police arrested a woman, identified as Kulwinder Kaur, and recovered 5 grams of heroin from her at a checkpoint in Phagwara in Kapurthala district on April 25.
25-Apr-2023
Police arrested two drug peddlers along with 20 grams of heroin in Phagwara in Kapurthala district on April 25.
25-Apr-2023
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has got the custody of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in connection with a case of cross-border smuggling of drugs, an official said on April 25.
24-Apr-2023
Intelligence officials on April 24 stated that the radical separatist Amritpal Singh aimed to establish a new brand of Khalistani separatist identity in Punjab by generating a false sense of alienation and discontentment, especially among the youth. The officials believe that Amritpal's arrival in Punjab is part of a larger scheme by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in collaboration with Khalistani elements in the United Kingdom (UK). Over the last two months, the investigation against members of Waris Punjab De (WPD) revealed imprints of these groups' Europe and United States (US) networks, apparently used as a front by the Pakistan ISI to create a false narrative and fuel separatism.
24-Apr-2023
The Punjab Police said that Amritpal Singh's 'provocative' speeches, which he made on social media and at gatherings since arriving in Punjab in September 2022, as the primary reason for invoking the strict National Security Act (NSA) against him. It has been reported that the Punjab Police will include these reasons in the dossier that they plan to present to the state government's advisory board on April 25.
24-Apr-2023
It is believed that Jasbir Singh Rode, the former chief of Akal Takht and the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, played a role in the arrest of Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh in Moga, as it was reported a day after the arrest. Sources said that Jasbir, after getting the information that Amritpal was planning to surrender at Rodewal Gurdwara, had secretly shared the information with the police.
24-Apr-2023
Patiala House Court in Delhi on April 24 granted the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) transit custody of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in connection with the cross-border smuggling case.
24-Apr-2023
A Sikh youth, identified as Jasbir Singh (36) was arrested for attempting to desecrate a gurudwara in Morinda in Rupnagar District on April 24. As per reports, Jasbir wore shoes and jumped over the railing of the sanctum sanctorum, then proceeded to attack the priests who were present there.
24-Apr-2023
Former Director General of Police (DGP) Shashi Kant has stated that due to harassment and threats he received, he was unable to make public a report about police officers and politicians having connections with drug smugglers. He claimed that the report went missing from government records, and he did not have the authority to release it on his own.
24-Apr-2023
Police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Sikander and Mani along with 70-gram heroin in Doraha in Ludhiana district on April 24. An Assistant Sub-Inspector was seriously injured when he tried to stop them at a naka in Doraha.
24-Apr-2023
Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Capt. Amarinder Singh on April 24 said that Amritpal Singh should have been arrested on the initial day of the crackdown. According to Amarinder, Amritpal should have been taken into custody 30 days earlier, and individuals who have connections with Pakistan or those who attack police stations should have been detained earlier.
23-Apr-2023
A Pakistan drone shot down by the Border Security Force (BSF) earlier was recovered near the international border in Dera Baba Nanak village in Gurdaspur district on April 23.
23-Apr-2023
Soon after Amritpal's arrest, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP (Member of Parliament) Sanjay Singh praised the Bhagwant Mann administration for their handling of the case, citing Amritpal Singh's arrest as a testament to the Punjab government's maturity. He emphasized that the residents of Punjab will not tolerate any form of abuse of Guru Granth Sahib, referencing the Ajnala incident.
23-Apr-2023
Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa, the nephew of slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and former Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, met with Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh before his arrest from Gurdwara Sant Khalsa at Rode village in Moga district on April 23. Jasbir Singh Khalsa stated that he arrived at the gurdwara at around 4am on April 23, and engaged in discussions with Amritpal Singh, where he addressed the gathering of people who had congregated at the gurdwara. Khalsa also noted that Amritpal had explained why he had been in hiding for 35 days and why he was now surrendering, as many youths were being apprehended.
23-Apr-2023
Following the arrest of the radical preacher Amritpal Singh, three video clips of him were posted on social media in which he presented his arguments. In two of these videos, he explicitly stated that he had decided to surrender himself after 36 days since the Punjab Police began their operation to capture him. The first video shows Amritpal speaking to a congregation at Gurdwara Sant Khalsa in Rode, Moga, which was built to commemorate slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. In the second video, he can be seen walking around the village, entering a basement, paying his respects to a photo of Bhindranwale, and reciting Chaupai (a Sikh prayer for protection). In the third video, which was shot few hours prior to his arrest, Amritpal declares that he will go to Gurdwara Sant Khalsa, the same gurdwara where he had initiated his journey with the dastarbandi (a turban-tying ceremony to signify taking on a responsibility) to take over Waris Punjab De (WPD). He indicates that he will surrender himself there.