Guwahati, April 23: Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistani propagator, has been brought to Dibrugarh district in Assam with tight security after surrendering before Punjab Police on April 23.
He was arrested from Punjab’s Monga, and he was flown to Dibrugarh in a special Indian Air Force aircraft from Bathinda. Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill stated that Singh had no option but to surrender, and he was arrested at around 6.4 am in Rode, the native village of Khalistani separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala, who was killed in Operation Blue Star.
Punjab Police has invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against Singh, and he will be brought to Dibrugarh Central Jail, where he will be lodged with his nine other aides. The government has tightened security measures to prevent any untoward incidents in the state.
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The Khalistani movement is a Sikh separatist movement that originated in Punjab during the 1970s and has been demanding the creation of a separate Sikh state, Khalistan. The movement gained momentum in the 1980s and led to the assassination of the then-Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.
The Indian government has been cracking down on pro-Khalistani elements and has labeled the movement as a threat to national security. In recent times, the movement has gained support from some countries, particularly Canada, where a sizeable Sikh diaspora lives. The Indian government has been urging these countries to crack down on pro-Khalistani elements and extradite them to India.
Amritpal Singh’s surrender and subsequent arrest are significant developments in the Indian government’s efforts to crack down on the pro-Khalistani movement. The invocation of the NSA against Singh indicates the seriousness of the charges against him and sends a strong message to other pro-Khalistani elements.
