Bhagwant Mann has proved his mettle on better handling of Amritpal case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court may have expressed displeasure over the absconding of wanted Khalistani supporter and separatist Amritpal Singh in the attack on Ajnala police station in Punjab, but it is better for him to remain absconding than to be caught. If he is caught, he will do mischief by staying in jail, will give wrong statements. If he remains absconding, he will only be afraid of escaping from the arrest of the police. A plan to escape from police arrest will be on his mind. During this, Khalistan and Khalistan’s Fitoor will be far away from him.

Khalistani supporter and separatist Amritpal Singh escaped from Mahitpur in Jalandhar on 18 March. The Punjab and Haryana High Court expressed displeasure over his absconding. The court termed it as a failure of the police and intelligence department. The court said that how did he run away when there were 80 thousand soldiers of Punjab Police? It is true that the escape of separatist Amritpal Singh from the police cordon is a failure of the police, but Punjab has benefited a lot from this failure. Had separatist Amritpal Singh been caught, he would have become a big name. While in jail, he would have given statements in support of Khalistan. Instigates the Sikhs. He used to do mischief continuously and the government could not do anything, it just kept watching. Today Amritpal Singh is absconding. In such a situation, there is neither Khalistan in his mind nor any plan to make Khalistan. He’s just running. He is afraid of the police. There is a fear of getting caught. There is a fear that the police will beat him after arresting him. He will not be kept in Punjab jail. Like his captured comrades, he will be kept in Dibrugarh Jail in distant Assam. Or even more so it will be kept here in a difficult place. This is known from his silence for 12 days after absconding.

His first video came out on the 12th day of Ferrari. In that video he tried to instigate Sikhs. In the video, he has asked the Jathedar of Shri Akal Takht Sahib to call Sarbat Khalsa at Takht Shri Damdama Sahib on Baisakhi. On the other hand, after all-round pressure, there is speculation about Amritpal’s surrender. It was discussed that he can surrender by coming to Sri Akal Takht Sahib located in the Golden Temple of Amritsar. As soon as this was known, the police made tight security there. After this, information came that he could surrender at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda. According to police sources, Amritpal has put three conditions for surrender, in which he has been asked not to assault, to keep him in Punjab jail and not to show surrender to arrest. However, after this an audio recording of Amritpal came to the fore, in which he refused to surrender and said that he was not afraid of torture in police custody.

Sarbat Khalsa was not called on his demand but some Sikhs under the chairmanship of Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, took out a fury march from Sri Harmandar Sahib to the DC office. Apart from Ragi Jathas including Harjinder Singh Dhami, members of SGPC also participated in this fury march. Everyone gathered outside the DC office and also protested against the Punjab government. SGPC demands that the people on whom NSA has been imposed in Amritpal’s case be removed. Apart from this, Sikh youths sent to jails of other states should be brought back to Punjab. After reaching DC office, a memorandum was also handed over to DC on behalf of SGPC.

During the movement in support of Khalistan being raised by Amritpal in Punjab, it was felt that the Aam Aadmi Party government of Punjab is new. She will not be able to face the circumstances. But these assumptions were proved wrong by his harsh action against Amritpal and his companions. Even Amritpal and his companions, who talked about Khalistan, did not expect such drastic action. They used to think that the government would keep watching everything. He will continue his work. Nothing happened to them when they attacked Ajnala police station, nothing will happen in the future as well. He will do the same in future also and by giving pressure, he will release his accomplices from the police. If maximum are arrested, they will remain in Punjab jail, from here their action will continue. He probably did not expect that this time his arrested comrades would not be kept in the jail of Punjab, but in such a jail of another state, where no one would know their language, nor supporter, nor sympathizer. In these jails they will be common prisoners and they will be treated like common prisoners. You will yearn to meet your people and relatives. You will not even get the food of your choice and your state.

Arvind Kejriwal, the national leader of the Aam Aadmi Party on the law and order situation in Punjab, says, “We are patriotic people, we love Bharat Mata and if anyone takes any kind of action against Bharat Mata, he will not be spared. In the last few days, the Bhagwant Mann government and the Aam Aadmi Party government have taken several drastic steps to restore peace in Punjab. The system we got was a mix of criminals with political people. Gangsters and criminals were earlier given political protection.”

The action against Khalistali supporter Amritpal and his associates has also made it clear that the central and state governments are firmly in this matter. After the arrest of Amritpal’s associates, the manner in which some of his staunch supporters were arrested and sent to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam in a special plane, shows the coordination between the state and the Centre. For the first time on this issue, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a conversation with a private channel, “He is standing like a rock with Punjab in terms of law and order. I meet Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann every three months. Whenever there is law and order in the state, rising above party lines, the central government stands with them. Whatever steps the Punjab government is taking in this matter, the center is with them.

While Amrit Pal is absconding in this entire episode, the National Security Act (NSA) has been imposed on four of Amritpal’s associates. Amritpal Singh’s uncle Harjeet Singh has also been arrested. Four associates of Amritpal Singh – Daljit Singh Kalsi, Bhagwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh Bajeka and Amritpal’s uncle – are lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. Amritpal is accused of getting foreign funding. Pakistan’s ISI is behind it. Amritpal’s close aides were forming the ‘Anandpur Khalsa Fauj’ (AKF). The six FIRs registered against Amritpal and his accomplices include offenses like possession of illegal weapons, obstructing police work and assaulting police.

During the harsh action taken by the government against Amritpal and his associates in India, the Center and the Punjab government expected that there could be a strong reaction in Punjab against this action. That’s why internet services were stopped in Punjab during the operation. But this did not happen. Everything went well. There was no reaction anywhere inside the country. There was some reaction in America, Canada, England etc. There were demonstrations at the Indian Embassy. Demolition took place. Despite all this, the governments there remained silent. If she became active then after protesting against India.

India will take strict action regarding these incidents, those protesting in favor of Amritpal abroad did not expect this. The Government of India has started registering cases against them. Action is being taken against the protesting Indian passport holders, cancellation of IOC (Indian Origin Card) of those who have taken citizenship abroad. There are also reports of gheraoing protesters who have taken citizenship of foreign countries. One more thing, Amritpal himself is saying that if the Punjab Police wanted, they could have caught him from his house. But didn’t get caught. Is it not that he was deliberately chased away and is being chased away. One thing is clear whether he has run away or been chased away, his running away and remaining absconding is beneficial for the country.

Ashok Madhup

(The author is a senior journalist)