Photo: Simranjit Singh Mann / Facebook
Punjab MP Fears Extrajudicial Killing of Sikh Leader Amritpal Singh
In order to save the people of Punjab from the impending disaster, some civil society groups keep protesting and raising their voice against the political corruption and continuous misgovernance in the state.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann – who is a member of parliament (MP) from Sangrur in Punjab – has expressed his apprehension that a youth Sikh leader Amritpal Singh may be eliminated by Punjab Police.
The police claim that Amritpal Singh – a leader of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ (or inheritors of Punjab) group – escaped when police were chasing him on March 18, although police nabbed nearly 100 of his associates.
However, Simranjit Singh Mann does not agree with the police story. In a news conference on March 19, the Punjab MP asserted that police are not telling the truth as he fears that Amritpal Singh will be killed in a fake encounter.
After his tweets in support of Amritpal Singh, Mann’s Twitter account was suspended. Amritpal Singh’s parents also alleged in video interviews that their son is in police custody as he never wanted to escape. They also add that police could have arrested him from home instead of chasing him in a dramatic way.
Reports suggest that Amritpal Singh is being charged under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) because he was demanding a separate state Khalistan for Punjabis – particularly Sikhs.
The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist campaign that seeks to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān (‘Land of the Khalsa’ or the Land of Purity), in the Punjab region.
Simranjit Singh Mann is also a Khalistan protagonist and his persistent campaign for an autonomous Sikh state was one of the main factors behind his election victory in 2022.
As Punjab has been facing extreme unrest, most Sikhs prefer to have a separate properly governed state to bring peace and prosperity back to Punjab. They demand a plebiscite on the issue of Khalistan.
But the Indian government – in collusion with the Punjab government – suppresses the Khalistan movement with the use of force against Sikhs. Simranjit Singh Mann said that the current Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann has failed in maintaining peace and he is colluding with the Central government to create trouble for Sikhs in the state.
As Bhagwant Mann is a totally incapable and illiterate politician, under his government, Punjab is facing extreme political turmoil, unemployment, illiteracy, agricultural downturn, bureaucratic and political corruption, drug addiction, mafia culture, youth exodus, religious fundamentalism, and other evils that have made life miserable for the people of Punjab.
The main political groups including the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are full of corrupt politicians who are hell-bent to ruin Punjab.
In order to save the people of Punjab from the impending disaster, some civil society groups keep protesting and raising their voice against the political corruption and continuous misgovernance in the state.
But the government uses draconian laws such as the NSA or the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to crush such protests with force even when they are peaceful.
People expect the Indian authorities to protect human rights in Punjab. A UK MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi urged in his tweet on March 19 to respect the rights of all in Punjab. He expressed concern over the news of Amritpal Singh and random arrests of his associates.
“Very worrying reports coming from India, of the imposition of an internet blackout in the Punjab state, with mass arrests and restrictions on gatherings. Praying that the tense situation is soon resolved and that human rights of all are respected,” Dhesi said.
Meanwhile, in response to a habeas corpus petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 19 issued a notice to the state of Punjab to produce Amritpal Singh in the court. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, March 21.
RMN Foundation urges the Punjab and Indian authorities to make their crackdown processes transparent, stop using draconian laws even for petty faults, and respect human rights of all Indians.
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