Amritsar, March 28, 2023 (PPI-OT): Akal Takht jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, has issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the release of all supporters of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, arrested by the police in the Indian state of Punjab since the launch of its crackdown on March 18. The jathedar at a meeting in Amritsar decided that if the ultimatum is not honoured, the Akal Takht will launch ‘Khalsa Wahir’ to expose the government’s machinations at the village-level. Amritpal was to start the second leg of his ‘Khalsa Wahir’ from March 19. The jathedar said that during this Wahir apart from propagation of the religion, an anti-drug campaign would also be carried out.

“All the Sikh bodies, including SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) and SAD (Shiromani Akali Dal) will go to people and highlight how the Sikhs are being terrorised and defamed,” SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said while briefing the media. The meeting also held the Punjab and the Indian central governments along with a few Indian media houses responsible for creating an atmosphere of hatred against the Sikhs as part of a ‘conspiracy’. The jathedar has directed SGPC to take legal action against the “forces bent upon defaming Sikhs in India and abroad and we have already set up a panel of lawyers for this”.

The representatives of Sikh bodies issued another ultimatum to restore the 100-odd Sikh channels closed by the Punjab government. They asked all the Sikh bodies to unitedly fight against the alleged suppression of Sikhs. At the meeting in Akal Takht, the Sikhs raised slogans in favour of Khalistan, in support of Amritpal and against some Indian media houses. The meeting also agreed to provide free legal support to all those arrested during the ongoing operation against Amritpal. The Sikh bodies also decided to move the high court against the imposition of the draconian law National Security Act against the seven Sikhs. The Akal Takht Jathedar also urged Sikhs to fly flags of ‘Khalsa Raj’ atop their houses and on their vehicles.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org