The Panjab police has invoked the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh. This is the first time in India’s history that such a law has been used against a sitting MP. The UAPA charges are on top of the earlier stringent National Security Act under which Amritpal is in jail at Dibrugarh, Assam. The case is about Gurpreet Singh, a Sikh activist from Hari Nau village, Faridkot who was shot dead on 10 Oct 2024. Panjab police alleges the murder was ordered by Amritpal Singh and carried out by Canada-based gangster Arshdeep Singh. Arshdeep has maintained on a recorded message that Amritpal was not involved, and it was a personal matter (WD Vol 2, Issue 43, Story 5). Lawyer RS Bains, representing Amritpal, said about him, ‘the govt. is scared of his political potential.’ Meanwhile on 14 Jan, at the Maghi Mela (in memory of the forty Sikh martyrs), Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh has launched a new regional, Panjab-based political party—Shiromani Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De; SAD WPD). Waris Panjab De was activist Sandeep Singh Sidhu’s outfit. Sidhu died in a mysterious road accident on 15 Feb 2022. In March 2022, Dubai-based Amrtipal took over the outfit. Amritpal arrived in Panjab in August 2022. Tarsem attended the rally along with Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa who is the elder son of Beant Singh, one of the assassins of former PM Indira Gandhi in 1984. The party declaration listed various issues that ail Panjab and said, ‘SAD WPD aims to create a transformative vision for Panjab, rooted in the principles of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh sacred scripture and living Guru). To achieve this, we seek your cooperation and support.’
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