1 week ago
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New Delhi: Amritpal Singh, the person of the radical Waris Punjab De, is an “ISI agent” who was brought to India by the Pakistani spy bureau to dispersed unit implicit the Khalistan secessionist movement, officials successful cardinal quality agencies said connected Saturday, arsenic authorities constabulary launched a crackdown to apprehension him and his aides.
Police unit cheque vehicles arsenic constabulary motorboat an cognition to apprehension Waris Punjab De main Amritpal Singh, connected Saturday. (Raminder Pal Singh)
Singh remained connected the tally till the clip of going to people but 78 of his supporters were arrested successful a statewide cognition that national quality officials said was launched aft tip-off that the radical whitethorn beryllium readying attacks successful the nationalist superior and carrying retired a radicalisation thrust successful the authorities of Punjab.
“Amritpal Singh, a non-resident Indian who worked arsenic a motortruck operator successful Dubai, is an ISI cause who came successful interaction with Pakistani spy bureau portion surviving successful the UAE. He was told to motivate naive young Sikhs successful sanction of religion. There was an knowing that the ISI volition walk wealth and by bringing the Sikhs down him successful the sanction of Khalistan, helium would person a accidental successful Punjab,” said a cardinal quality officer, who asked not to beryllium named.
This idiosyncratic added that Avtar Singh Khanda, a UK-based Sikh extremist and the vice-president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann), is simply a adjacent subordinate of Khalistani violent Jagtar Singh Tara and acted arsenic the “main handler of Amritpal Singh and the brains down his meteoric rise”.
ISI, oregon the inter services quality agency, is Pakistan military’s main espionage wing.
This idiosyncratic said Saturday’s cognition was precipitated by inputs of a conspiracy by Amritpal Singh and different Pakistan-based Khalistani leaders, including Lakhbir Singh Rode (head of banned outfit International Sikh Youth Federation), to onslaught authorities leaders successful New Delhi and dispersed hatred successful Punjab successful the sanction of religion.
There person been hectic discussions betwixt cardinal and authorities quality officials successful caller weeks, with national officials highlighting the rapidly increasing radicalisation that Singh was carrying retired successful the state.
The agencies, successful a gathering earlier this month, adjacent discussed keeping a tab connected fiscal activities of each territory units of Waris Punjab De to cheque travel of funds from overseas countries, the authoritative said.
Union location curate Amit Shah, too, during a gathering with Punjab main curate Bhagwant Maan connected March 2 discussed the contented and assured each assistance successful the signifier of further forces.
Singh, the serviceman cited supra said, was successful interaction with Lakhbir Singh Rode’s member Jaswant successful Dubai. Rode is wanted successful aggregate cases of panic attacks and for proviso of explosives successful India.
“After coming to Punjab, astatine the behest of ISI, Amritpal Singh took the assistance of Amrit Sanchar to acceptable up his organisation. Later helium launched a run called Khalsa Waheer and strengthened his organisation by going to the villages. He stirred up the issues of Punjab and started inciting the Sikhs against the Indian government. He got occurrence successful getting radical to bash what helium wanted nether the guise of religion,” said the serviceman cited above.
Avtar Singh Khanda, Amritpal Singh’s handler, is besides a adjacent adjutant of Paramjit Singh Pamma, who is associated with Babbar Khalsa planetary (BKI) and is known for holding theoretical extremist grooming classes for Sikh youth.
“The thought was to destabilise Punjab done ideological indoctrination and springiness Amritpal power successful the region,” said this officer, referring to Pakistan’s program successful the bluish state.
As portion of the plan, Khalistani leaders who backed Amritpal Singh “were trying to marque improvised explosive devices (IEDs) utilizing communal chemicals by giving unrecorded objection successful Birmingham and Glasgow”, helium said.
Security agencies pointed retired that Amritpal Singh utilized threatening tactics to support Sikh younker successful line, citing an incidental wherever his companions attacked the Gurdwara Singh Sabha Model Town successful Jalandhar successful December, wherever they broke chairs and acceptable the Gurdwara afire.
He asked his comrades, officials said, “to enactment armed” and “also formed a caller service called Anandpur Khalsa Army (AKF).”
“This service is ever astir him with unsafe weapons. The Sikh Gurus had asked to deterioration arms to support themselves successful the clip of difficulty, not to beryllium equipped to frighten the guiltless people,” said a 2nd serviceman alert of the matter, asking not to beryllium named.
Amritpal Singh adjacent threatened Shah and Punjab CM Mann successful statements past month. His enactment person strengthened the ISI and its morale. “Due to Amritpal Singh’s actions, memories of the days erstwhile Punjab was deed by militancy were revived among the Punjabis adjacent though the authorities has travel retired of that play with large difficulty,” the 2nd serviceman added.
It was pointed retired successful past fewer weeks successful meetings betwixt apical quality brass of the state that determination was an ambiance of fearfulness successful Punjab and everyone was questioning the administration.
“Punjab has faced 2 decades of atrocious times of terrorism. Today, nary Punjabi wants to enactment the aboriginal of his children successful a acheronian period,” said a 3rd serviceman successful quality agencies.
Officials astatine Centre further highlighted that Amritpal Singh has shown disrespect to Gurdwaras and the Akal Takht, highest temporal spot of Sikhs.
“Amritpal Singh considers himself supra Guru Granth Sahib and disrespected it. He threatened Jathedar Akal Takht implicit committee formed against him for carrying Guru Granth Sahib to a protestation site. He considers himself arsenic the lone saviour of Sikhism contempt adopting Sikhism conscionable six months back,” said the 3rd officer.
About his depiction of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, quality officials said: “Amritpal Singh was attempting to currency successful connected the followers of the person of Damdami Taksal by copying his attire and mannerisms.”
“His slogan of slavery, request of self-determination for Sikhs and depiction of non-Sikhs arsenic traitors each mimic Bhindranwale. Even his coronation arsenic Waris Punjab De person took spot successful Village Rode, Moga, the ancestral spot of Bhindranwale,” said the 3rd officer.
He took implicit the absorption and accounts of Waris Punjab De with the assistance of his uncle, Harjit Singh. The outfit, started by histrion Deep Sidhu, was being backing from Pakistan, and its erstwhile treasurer Basant Singh Daulatpura besides has known Pakistani links, said officers.
