The Akal Takht, the highest authority for the Sikhs, has criticized the Bhagwant Mann government and the central government for their actions against separatist preacher Amritpal Singh. In a gathering of Sikh organizations, the Akal Takht jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, questioned why similar action is not taken against those who demand Hindu Rashtra. He gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government to release Sikh youths picked up during the crackdown against the separatist preacher.
The jathedar also expressed his concern over the invocation of the stringent National Security Act against those arrested for allegedly supporting Singh and his demand for Khalistan. He suggested that those who demand Hindu Rashtra should also be booked under the NSA.
Chief Minister Mann has stated that he has asked the state police to release those taken into preventive custody if they were not involved in any anti-national activity. The Punjab Police has released 197 out of the 353 people taken into preventive custody.
The Akal Takht jathedar cautioned against violent protests and stated that they will approach the high court for the release of those in police custody. He has also targeted news channels that allegedly defamed Sikhs and suggested that the news channels should be booked for hate propaganda against the Sikh community.
In an earlier statement, the Akal Takht had asked Amritpal Singh to surrender before the police and cooperate with the investigation. The jathedar has also criticized the police’s competence in not being able to catch Singh so far.
The Akal Takht jathedar plans to take up this matter across the country and the world after Baisakhi and stated, ‘We will tell them what is being done to us.’
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