Amritpal Singh row: Day after appearing on Facebook, fugitive Khalistani sympathizer Amritpal Singh was seen in a live-streamed video on YouTube on Thursday evening in which he is heard saying he would not surrender.
Earlier, Pro-Khalistani leader, who is on the run ever since the Punjab Police launched a manhunt for the radical leader several days ago, released a video on Wednesday in which he slammed the police for arresting several Sikh youths in its anti-Khalistan crackdown. Wearing a black turban and shawl, the Khalistan sympathizer further said if the state government had the intention of making an arrest, police could have come to his house and he would have given up.
"The Almighty saved us from the attempt of 'lakhs of cops' who were sent to make an arrest," he further said in the Facebook video.
The video appeared amid reports that the radical preacher might surrender.
In his 40-minute video, Amritpal Singh is trying to provoke the youth as he demanded to call Sarbat Khalsa on the occasion of Baisakhi.
"I am appearing in front of you for the first time since March 18. First I want to talk about the action of the Punjab government. If their intention would have been only to arrest me, then they could have simply done it and I would have surrendered... but instead of that they tried to do it by force... and it was due to the blessings of God, we are able to escape... when the internet was shut down, we were not able to communicate and didn't know what was going around... I would like to thank all who came in front to support us...," said Amritpal Singh.
What is Sarbat Khalsa?
Sarbat Khalsa is a meeting called by various Sikh organizations to solve the sectarian crisis. On this occasion, cult organizations discuss ideas to find a solution to the crisis and whatever decision is taken, the Jathedar of Takht Sahib orders the community to follow it.
Challenge for Punjab Police continues
Cops are still unaware of Amritpal Singh's location, who is on run. Several photos and videos of the radical leader have surfaced over the past few days in which he has been spotted at various locations in northern India and is still out at large.
The elusive preacher himself, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district recently.
There was no official word on the purported video, which appeared as the Punjab Police try to close in on Amritpal Singh. Some reports have also suggested he might surrender as the security in Amritsar and Talwandi Sabo area in Bathinda has been tightened.
The crackdown on his outfit Waris Punjab De started weeks after Amritpal Singh's supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, near Amritsar, to secure the release of one his followers.
The Punjab government has slapped the stringent National Security Act against him and some of his close aides.
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