Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh’s video surfaced on Wednesday amid a buzz that the Khalistani leader was preparing to surrender. It is being speculated that Akal Takht chief Giani Harpreet Singh is mediating between Amritpal and the authorities for his surrender. Sources said Amritpal was dictating the terms for his surrender.
Amritsar,UPDATED: Mar 29, 2023 21:48 IST
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh (L); Amritpal Singh (R).
By Manjeet Sehgal: Khalistani separatist and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, who has been on the run for 12 days now, issued a video message on Wednesday and confirmed that he hadn’t been arrested. He is seen dictating the terms for his surrender.
The most pertinent question — is Akal Takht chief Giani Harpreet Singh, the religious leader who is allegedly negotiating between Amritpal Singh and the Punjab police?
Amritpal Singh’s video surfaced on Wednesday amid the buzz that the Khalistani leader was preparing to surrender.
In the five-minute video, Amritpal Singh said he managed to escape a police cordon.
In the video, shot at an undisclosed location, Amritpal Singh refers to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and appeals to him to call a ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ meeting on Baisakhi this year. Baisakhi is on April 14.
One can also clearly notice Amritpal’s body language in the video. His low tone and unstable gaze revealed that the 12-day-long police chase had taken a toll on him. The person who used to stare like Khalistani ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale looked quite tamed in the video.
Though Amritpal’s willingness to surrender has not yet been confirmed by the authorities, sources said that he was keen to do that, but on his own terms and conditions. A big religious leader was allegedly acting as a mediator between Amritpal Singh and the authorities.
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Sources said he was trying to dictate terms and conditions for his surrender before the Punjab Police.
Sources said Amritpal is believed to have disclosed his surrender plan through his mediator. One condition is that he should be lodged in a Punjab jail and should not be tortured.
“My arrest is in the hands of the almighty. I am on top of the world. Nobody can do anything to me,” Amritpal said in the video.
He says that the path shown to him by God was a difficult one, which made him feel like he was sitting for an exam.
“God supported and blessed me and cannot be expressed in words. Escaping a big (police) cordon was the biggest blessing,” he said.
Interestingly, Amritpal Singh on March 3 had met Akal Takht Chief Giani Harpreet Singh.
Later, Punjab intelligence chief Jaskaran Singh also met Harpreet Singh on March 24.
Harpreet Singh had advised Amritpal Singh to surrender to the police as the chase was sending a wrong message to the Sikh community.
Is Amritpal Singh trying to surrender on the advice of Giani Harpreet Singh? What exactly is this surrender plan? Authorities are tight-lipped.
Amritpal’s video has also come as a relief to the Punjab Police which was facing allegations of illegally detaining Amritpal.
Amritpal’s family and supporters had accused the Punjab police of illegally detaining him. The police, however, kept telling everyone, including the Punjab and Haryana High Court, that Amritpal was still on the run.
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