Why jailed Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh is contesting polls in Punjab

Incarcerated in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA), pro-Khalistani leader and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh has jumped into the poll fray in the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency of Punjab.

His entry into the electoral arena has spiced up the contest in the constituency, known for being the hub of Panthic politics in Punjab. The area was seen as the hotbed of militancy in the 1980s when terrorism was at its peak in the border state. Not surprisingly, SAD (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann, who is a vocal supporter of the Khalistani cause, was quick to announce its support for Amritpal. The party made it clear that though they had fielded a candidate from Khadoor Sahib, he will withdraw his nomination in his support.

Panthic constituency

The people of this area have been voting for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its splinter groups most of the times. In 1989, Simranjit Singh Mann won it in absentia as he was in jail. Khadoor Sahib, at that time, was a part of the Tarn Taran Lok Sabha constituency. In 1996, Congress won the seat. Subsequently, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates won in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 polls. However, Jasbir Singh Gill of the Congress broke the trend and emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

This Panthic seat has the highest number of Sikh voters, at 75.15%. The constituency came into being in 2008 and is spread across three regions—Malwa, Majha and Doaba—and is termed ‘Mini-Punjab’.

This time, former Akali MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha is contesting on the SAD ticket, but with Amritpal contesting as an independent, he can make a dent in Valtoha’s vote bank. However, Valtoha is posing a serious challenge, recounting his days of militancy and close ties with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

The ruling AAP has fielded Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar from the constituency. Former Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Zira and Manjit Singh Manna of the BJP are the other candidates in the poll fray.

‘Propped up by Centre’

Meanwhile, the SAD led by former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal has hit out against Amritpal Singh for contesting the elections, saying he only wanted to get out of jail by resorting to the move. He also alleged that he was being propped up by the central agencies.

Badal appealed to people to understand the “conspiracy” under which Amritpal was being fielded as an independent candidate. He also asked people to determine whether a person who had acquired “Sikhi saroop” some time back was fit to lead them.

He urged the people to evaluate if Amritpal had been “propped up by the central agencies”. “How can one explain the entire sequence where a person was first propped up, then projected and then arrested and was now being kept in safe custody only to be used as a candidate in the parliamentary elections to counter SAD’s popularity,’’ Badal said. He also pointed out the dichotomy in Amritpal's earlier stand that he did not want to enter politics and was only interested in ‘amrit parchar’ (spreading Sikhism) and fighting the drug menace.

“It is also a fact that Amritpal was facilitated to file his nomination papers despite being incarcerated under the NSA in Dibrugarh,” Badal claimed.

Assets worth Rs 1,000

As per the ECI data, Amritpal’s nomination was filed by his uncle in Tarn Taran district on May 10. He is contesting the election in absentia as an Independent from this constituency.

Interestingly, Amritpal has declared assets worth Rs 1,000, according to his poll affidavit. It says he has Rs 1,000 bank balance in the SBI branch, Rayya, in Amritsar. Other than this, Singh does not have any moveable or immovable assets, as per his affidavit.

However, his wife Kirandip Kaur owns movable assets worth Rs 18.37 lakh. It comprises Rs 20,000 cash in hand, gold jewellery worth Rs 14 lakh and 4,000 GBP (pound) equivalent to Rs 4,17,440, in account at Revolut Ltd, London, UK.

Singh has been shown as dependent on parents while his spouse is a British citizen. She earlier worked as a language interpreter at National Health Services in the UK, but is now a housewife, as per the affidavit.

Singh has declared that 12 criminal cases are pending against him though he has not been convicted in any case. He, along with nine of his associates, has been lodged in the Dibrugarh jail since April 23, 2023.

Singh's educational qualification is matric which he passed from a school in Pheruman in Amritsar in 2008.

Polling for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1.

How he landed in jail

The self-styled Sikh preacher had hit the headlines after he along with his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station in Amritsar, brandishing swords and guns, and clashed with police for the release of Lovepreet Singh Toofan, one of his aides, on February 23 last year.

He had escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, 2023, switching vehicles and changing appearances. He was finally arrested from Moga district on April 23, 20123, after he had been on the run for over a month. The 29-year-old was flown to Assam on a special flight and sent to the Dibrugarh Central Jail.

He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

Amritpal had garnered a significant following with his speeches focusing on Punjab’s youth and the Sikh religion. He had also publicly supported the demand for Khalistan, an independent state for Sikhs.