New Delhi: Amritpal Singh, an independent MP from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib seat and a controversial figure imprisoned under the National Security Act (NSA) announced the formation of the Akali Dal Waris Punjab, a new political party on Tuesday.
This announcement was made during a conference at the Maghi Mela in Muktsar, Punjab. While Amritpal Singh has been named the party president, a committee will manage the party’s affairs given his current imprisonment in Dibrugarh jail, Assam.
After a month-long manhunt, Punjab police arrested Amritpal Singh on April 23, 2023. Some refer to him as “Bhindranwale 2.0,” a reference to the pro-Khalistan militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and the government accuses him of being a Khalistani-Pakistan agent. He first gained notoriety in 2022 when he assumed leadership of ‘Waris Punjab De,’ a group that the late actor-activist Deep Sidhu had started.
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Pro-Khalistani remarks and the reported takeover of the Ajnala police station in March 2023 to secure the release of a group member were highlights of his term. His fame increased as a result of this incident, which injured multiple police officers and led to a dramatic police pursuit. Despite making two escapes, he ultimately turned himself in and was taken into custody by the NSA.
According to government sources, he was organising a nationwide march to enlist young people for suicide assaults and was using de-addiction facilities to store weapons that were illegally imported from Pakistan.
“We all are still slaves… We have to fight for freedom… Our waters are being looted, and our Guru is being disrespected… The youth of Punjab should be ready to give up their lives for panth,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
Amritpal Singh has also come under fire for inciting communal tensions and encouraging a “gun culture” by calling on Sikh youth to “fight for freedom,” citing claimed injustices against the Sikh community. His independent campaign in the Lok Sabha elections resulted in the highest vote margin in Punjab and a decisive win in the Khadoor Sahib seat. He was temporarily moved to Delhi for his oath-taking ceremony in July 2024, despite his imprisonment.
