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Amritpal Singh
Singh in 2022
2nd Jathedar of Waris Panjab De
Preceded by	Sandeep Singh Sidhu
Personal details
Born	1993 (1993) (age 31) Jallupur Khaira, Baba Bakala, Amritsar, Punjab, India
Known for	Anti-Drug, Anti-Delhi, Khalistani Separatism, Anti-Christian Missionaries and Amrit Parchar campaigns

Amritpal Singh (born 1993) is a radical self-styled Indian Khalistani separatist activist from Punjab, India. He heads an organisation called Waris Panjab De. He rose to prominence in September 2022 after he returned from Dubai to India to become the leader of the organisation after the death of its previous leader Deep Sidhu in a car accident but his position is disputed.

Succession of Deep Sidhu

After the sudden death of Deep Sidhu, a letter was published by Waris Panjab De on 4 March 2022 declaring Amritpal Singh as the organisation's leader. When Singh returned to Punjab from Dubai, an official inauguration ceremony was held on 29 September 2022 at Rode in Moga, the native village of the former Jathedar of Damdami Taksal, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. He took Amrit in Anandpur Sahib after being elected. His succession is disputed by some aides of Sidhu and critics claim that he wasnt endorsed by Sidhu's family. Sidhu's brother stated that Sidhu blocked Amritpal's phone number for fifteen days in the past and that Singh's succession to the position was illegal.

Activism

Campaigning and Prachaar

On 25 September 2022, he announced his presence in Punjab and participated in the large gathering at holy city of Anandpur Sahib. Later on, he started his first phase of Punjab tour, Khalsa Vaheer which started from Akal Takhat Sahib, Amritsar

In Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan in October 2022, Singh's first Amrit Parchaar campaign took place, where around 647 people took Amrit (sanctified water) and became part of the Khalsa order. Next he started a 'Ghar Wapsi' (religious conversion) campaign where 927 Sikhs, Hindus and Christians in Anandpur Sahib took Amrit making headlines on newspapers, the Haryana Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee under the Haryana Government gave him support. Afterwards he held another large Amrit Parchaar campaign in Amritsar where 1,027 Sikhs and Hindus from across India took Amrit to became Khalsa Sikhs.

On 23 November, the 'Waris Punjab de' organization started a "Khalsa Vehir" campaign. He also organized Amrit Sanchar and anti-drug campaigns.

Khalistan and Bhindranwale styling

Amritpal openly supports the cause of Khalistan, the separatist and terrorist movement calling for a separate homeland/country for people of Sikh faith. He has given several statements in which he openly rallies for Khalistan stating, "Our aim for Khalistan shouldn't be seen as evil and taboo. It should be seen from an intellectual point of view as to what could be its geopolitical benefits. It's an ideology and ideology never dies. We are not asking for it from Delhi". He further stated in a separate instance that the Khalistan sentiment will remain in the population and that no one can suppress it. He threatened Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying that he will meet the same fate as Indira Gandhi who was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.

Singh has stated in the past that Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is their hero. He also dresses and presents himself similar to Bhindranwale, who was killed in Operation Blue Star in 1984. This includes wearing a turban and robe similar to ones by Bhindranwale moving with heavily armed men around him. He also entered the Golden Temple with a group of armed men called Faujaan. His supporters also hail him as a second Bhindranwale.

Participation in violence

In November 2022, Sudhir Suri, a Shiv Sena Politician was murdered by Sandeep Singh Sunny, who allegedly had a Waris Punjab De sticker on his vehicle. Punjab Police placed Amritpal Singh under a preemptive house arrest briefly, as a precautionary measure in anticipation of retaliatory violence against him, although he had no prior connection with Suri nor with the murder. After being released from house arrest, Singh did an Amrit Parchaar campaign in Haryana.

On 9 December 2022, Amritpal's supporters vandalised a gurudwara in Biharipura and then later on 13 December, vandalised a gurudwara in Jalandhar. They burned the chairs and sofas at these two gurudwaras claiming that one must not pray while sitting at the level of the Guru Granth Sahib at the gurudwara.

Ajnala Clash

In February 2023, Varinder Singh made a complaint in the Ajnala police station stating he was kidnapped and beaten by the associates of Amritpal Singh. An FIR was registered against Amritpal Singh and six of his associates at the Ajnala police station. The police arrested one of Singh's close associates, Lovepreet Singh Toofan.

After the arrest, Amritpal Singh issued an "ultimatum" to Punjab police to revoke the case and, when the police did not respond, Singh's supporters broke through police barricades as and stormed the police complex, armed with automatic guns and sharp weapons Several police personnel were injured and police vehicles were damaged. According to Senior Superintendent of Police Satinder Singh, the police could not retaliate because the supporters of Amritpal Singh had styled their group like a Jatha, carrying the Guru Granth Sahib.

Punjab police later released Lovepreet Singh after the court ordered his release based on the police's report.

In an interview to NDTV on 25 February 2023, Amritpal Singh alleged that the police filed a "false case" against his aide Lovepreet Singh. As a result, he and hundreds of "Waris Punjab De" supporters went to meet the police at Ajnala where Lovepreet Singh was kept. He also said that the media is misleading people in other parts of the country about the Ajnala incident.

Controversies

In October 2022, In one of his speeches, Amritpal said, "Jesus who could not save himself, how he will save everyone else?" which was termed hate speech by members of the Christian community. The Christian community staged a four hours-long protest against Amritpal at PAP Chowk for his remarks about Jesus Christ. The protestors demanded that an FIR should be lodged against him under 295A of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) for "hurting religious sentiments and attempting to aggravate communal divisions".

In October 2022, the president of Bharatiya Kisan Union Joginder Singh Ugrahan criticised Amritpal Singh saying, “He is just a Class XII pass out and has no experience with issues of farming and Punjab. The worst is that he is associated with a party which calls Shaheed Bhagat Singh a terrorist." He accused Singh to be associated with a party which calls Bhagat Singh a terrorist.

On 2 October 2022, the president of the Shiv Sena (Thackeray), Punjab youth wing held a press conference and urged the state government to arrest Amritpal for his "seditious activities". He accused Singh of styling himself like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and surrounding himself with armed men. He further added that Singh doesn't preach Sikhism and rallies for succession of a Sikh state from India. A few days after, on 7 October, his Twitter account was withheld in India for his remarks and pro-Khalistani tweets. The Ministry of Home Affairs also instructed the state government to remain vigilant over the activities of Amritpal.

In December 2022, Singh's social media account on Instagram was erased worldwide. He had previous been banned from Twitter. Sikh groups pointed to a trend of social media bannings of Sikh activists by social media corporations due to pressure from the Indian government. Neither Instagram nor Twitter released their reasons for the bannings.

References

1. ^ Menon, Aditya (6 October 2022). "Amritpal Singh: How a 29-Year-Old From Dubai Rose Dramatically in Sikh Politics". The Quint. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
2. ^ "'Bhindranwale 2.0': Radical Khalistan Sympathiser Amritpal Singh Active In Punjab". NDTV.com. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Often escorted by armed supporters and donning a flowing white 'chola' and a navy-blue turban, radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh has been very active for some time in Punjab.
3. ^ Sethi, Chitleen K. (23 February 2023). "Radical activist Amritpal storms Ajnala police station with supporters, secures aide's release". ThePrint. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
4. ^ Vasudeva, Vikas (23 February 2023). "Pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh's supporters attack police in Punjab's Ajnala". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Armed with swords, guns and sharp weapons, scores of supporters of the self-styled Sikh preacher and pro-Khalistan (sovereign state for Sikhs) propagator Amritpal Singh on Thursday indulged in a scuffle with Punjab police personnel, injuring a few in Amritsar's Ajnala.
5. ^ "Bhindranwale 2.0: Who is Khalistani separatist leader Amrit Pal Singh?". India Today. Retrieved 24 February 2023. The self-styled chief of the separatist Khalistani pressure group - 'Waris Punjab De', Amrit Pal Singh, is trying to establish himself as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale 2.0.
6. "As Amritpal Singh's followers run amok, a brief history of the Khalistan movement". The Indian Express. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Openly pushing the separatist idea of Khalistan, Amritpal challenges the theory of nationalism, and draws parallels between the idea of Sikh sovereignty and Hindu Rashtra. He even dresses like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, calling him his "inspiration".
7. "Deep Sidhu, actor-activist accused in Red Fort violence, dies in car crash". The Indian Express. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
   - Menon, Aditya (15 February 2022). "Deep Sidhu Dies in Accident: He Wanted Farmers Protest To Lead to Larger Change". TheQuint. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
8. Goyal, Divya (30 September 2022). "Khalistan on lips, Bhindranwale follower takes charge of Deep Sidhu's outfit, actor's kin say no link". Indian Express. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
9. ^ "Preacher, 'influencer', ideologue: Meet Amritpal Singh, head of Waris Punjab De". The Indian Express. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
10. ^ Service, Tribune News. "'Deep Sidhu disliked Amritpal Singh, blocked his phone'". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
11. "What Explains Amritpal Singh's Mystifying Rise as the New Poster Boy of Radical Sikh Politics?". The Wire. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
12. Jaskaran Singh (31 October 2022). "Haryana: HSGMC president praises Amritpal Singh for motivating youth to get initiated at Akal Takht". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
13. ^ Matharu, Sonal (25 October 2022). "Fiery orator, 'Bhindranwale 2.0' — who's Amritpal Singh, new 'head' of Deep Sidhu's Waris Punjab De". The Print. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
14. "'Khalsa Vehir' march from Akal Takht to Kesgarh Sahib begin". TribuneIndia. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
15. "Amritpal Singh: Amrit Sanchar to focus on 'de-addiction' of youth". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
16. ^ "'Khalistan shouldn't be seen as…': Amritpal Singh as Lovepreet Singh set to be released today". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
17. ^ "Punjab's Amritpal Singh aka 'Bhindranwale 2.0': Radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
18. "Amritpal Singh, the new face of fundamentalist fringe". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023. Amritpal has invoked the teachings of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale --- who was killed on June 6, 1984 --- during Operation Bluestar, with renewed calls for the freedom of Punjab and the creation of Khalistan. He styles his turban, wears traditional robes and other Sikh articles just like the slain militant preacher.
19. "Bhindranwale 2.0: Who is Khalistani separatist leader Amrit Pal Singh?". India Today. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
20. "Khalistan sentiment will remain, you cannot suppress it, says separatist leader Amritpal Singh | Exclusive". India Today. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
21. "'Sikh preacher' Amritpal Singh briefly put under house arrest". The Indian Express. 6 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
22. "Day after house arrest, Sikh 'preacher' Amritpal allowed to leave for Haryana". The Indian Express. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
23. "Members of 'Waris Punjab De' burn chairs, sofas at Jalandhar gurdwara". Indian Express. 13 December 2022.
24. "Supporters of Amritpal create ruckus at gurdwara". The Tribune. 10 December 2022.
25. "Self-styled preacher and pro-Khalistani booked for theft by Punjab Police". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
26. Vasudeva, Vikas (23 February 2023). "Pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh's supporters attack police in Punjab's Ajnala". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
27. "Radical Preacher's Aide Lovepreet Singh Released From Amritsar Jail". NDTV.com. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
28. "Preacher Amritpal Singh's aide Lovepreet released from Amritsar jail". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
29. "Ground Report: At Village Of Separatist Leader Who Challenged Punjab Government". NDTV.com. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
30. "Christians demand arrest of Sikh activist Amritpal Singh, lodge protest at Jalandhar's PAP Chowk". Tribune News Service.
31. "Members of Christian community hold four-hour protest in Jalandhar". Hindustan Times. 17 October 2022.
32. "Christians protest against Sikh 'preacher' Amritpal Singh for 'hurting religious sentiments', urge govt to book him". The Indian Express. 18 October 2022.
33. "Govt must arrest radical speaker Amritpal Singh, demands Shiv Sena". Tribune News Service.
34. "Amritpal Singh Twitter account suspended: Is government planning some big move against the Waris Punjab De Chief?". True Scoop News.
35. "Amritpal Singh's Instagram Suspended By The Government, Details Inside". Dariya News. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.

• 1993 births
• Living people
• People from Amritsar district
• Khalistan movement people