Khalistan Issue

Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal's close aide Papalpreet Singh arrested

Radical preacher Amritpal Singh's close aide Papalpreet Singh has been arrested from Punjab's Hoshiarpur, police said on Monday. Papalpreet was arrested in a Punjab Police operation that also involved its counter intelligence wing, they said. Papalpreet is considered to be his mentor and has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI. Amritpal and Papalpreet had been on the run since March 18 when the Punjab Police launched a crackdown against the Khalistan sympathiser and his aides. The radical preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances. He and his associates have been 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.

Security increased in Bhatinda amid Amritpal's rumoured meeting on Baisakhi

Security arrangements in Bathinda have been stepped up security ahead of Baisakhi celebrations in the state

'Don't spread rumours': Punjab Police denies news of Amritpal's surrender

The Punjab Police on Friday urged people not to believe rumours and fake news of the surrender of radical preacher and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh.Responding to a media report on Friday, Punjab Police, in a tweet, said, "This is a fake news and factually incorrect. Please fact-check news before sharing. Don't spread rumours and fake news."Waris Punjab De chief, Amritpal, has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him.Amid speculations that the radical preacher is likely to surrender at Amritsar's Golden Temple, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Parminder Singh Bhandal said last Saturday that if the fugitive Khalistani leader wants to surrender, they will facilitate the same in accordance with the law."We are continuously working to ensure the safety and security of people in Amritsar. Right now, we are more focused on managing traffic as Baisakhi is around the corner. If Amritpal wants to surrender, we are ready to ...

Security of Assam CM tightened after threat call from pro-Khalistanis

The security of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been tightened after a voice message issuing threat to him was received by a number of Assamese journalists based in Delhi and Assam on Sunday from a person identifying himself as Gurpatwant Singh Pannu from the banned Sikhs for Justice. Officials in the know claimed that the voice in the message was that of Pannu, who has been designated as a terrorist under the stringent anti-terror law -- Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act -- by the Union Home Ministry. He is at present in the United States. The caller claimed that Sikhs were being "tortured" in Assam jail and asked Sarma to desist from it. After the March 18 crackdown on pro-Khalistan radical preacher Amritpal Singh, the Punjab government had shifted seven of his close aides to Assam's Dibrugarh jail after slapping them with the National Security Act. The voice message, which was received twice by some of the journalists in the afternoon, came from masked Indian pho

Amritpal dares to demand Khalistan due to BJP, RSS' 'Hindu Rashtra': Gehlot

"Politics is being done in the name of religion in the country. But if you take along the people belonging to every religion and caste for the country's good, this country will remain united," he said

US takes safety and security of diplomatic missions seriously: Official

The United States takes the safety and security of diplomats and diplomatic missions in the country quite seriously, a senior State Department official has said. We take the safety and security of the diplomatic missions that we host in the United States and the diplomats that work in them quite seriously, Vedant Patel, the Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department told reporters at a press conference here. Patel's comment came as there is a sense of worry prevailing after a group of Khalistan supporters this month attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. Later, the Khalistani supporters also held a protest in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington and tried to incite violence and even threatened the country's envoy, but

Not a fugitive, will soon appear before world: Amritpal Singh in new video

A day after daring the Punjab police to arrest him, radical preacher Amritpal Singh surfaced in a fresh video on Thursday, asserting he was not a fugitive and would soon appear before the world. The purported video surfaced hours after his audio clip came out on social media in which he debunked speculation he was negotiating his surrender. Those who feel that I have turned fugitive and I have left my associates, they should not keep this illusion in their mind. I do not fear death, he said in the video in Punjabi. And soon will appear before the world and will also be amongst the 'Sangat', he said. Police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal Singh may surrender after entering any of the two Sikh shrines - Golden Temple in Amritsar and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda. The pro-Khalistan preacher said he was not like those who would flee the country. One has to face a lot during the days of rebellion These days of rebellion are

Pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal seen without turban in fresh CCTV footage

A new video of Amritpal Singh with his key aide Papalpreet Singh surfaced on social media on Tuesday, showing the pro-Khalistan preacher without a turban and wearing a mask. The undated CCTV footage, said to be from a market in Delhi, showed the fugitive walking down a street wearing dark glasses. Behind him, Papalpreet Singh could be seen walking with a bag. There is no official word from Punjab Police on the fresh footage. The video has emerged a day after a picture of Amritpal Singh and Papalpreet Singh widely circulated on social media. That image showed both these men looking relaxed and Amritpal Singh holding a beverage can. Papalpreet Singh is said to be Amritpal Singh's mentor. He was allegedly in contact with Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Several images and videos of the radical preacher have surfaced on social media since the police crackdown on him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De' began on March 18. Amritpal Singh, however, managed to dodge the crackdown in Jalandhar and .

BBC Punjabi Twitter account withheld in connection with Amritpal's case

Amid ongoing police crackdown against pro-Khalistani elements in Punjab, the official Twitter account of the BBC Punjabi was blocked by the authorities

US condemns violence at Indian Embassy, says violence is never acceptable

The response from the US Department of State comes after the pro-Khalistan supporters in the US threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu

Neither Sikhs in India nor Indian diaspora advocate for Khalistan: IWF

"At the same time, United Nations Security Council is requested to impose sanctions on such individuals who are a threat to global peace and ban their organisations," IWF chief added

Indian Embassy in Kathmandu claims Amritpal Singh hiding in Nepal: Report

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has claimed that absconding pro-Khalistan radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh is currently hiding in Nepal and requested the Himalayan nation's government agencies

Ten minors among 12 held for 'pro-Amritpal' posters in UP district

Twelve persons, including 10 minors, have been detained for allegedly putting up posters with slogans supporting absconding Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh here

Brainwashed in Brampton: Khalistanis target new students from Punjab

As Khalistani activists in Canada have grabbed headlines after the Amritpal Singh incident in Punjab, many fear that the pro-Khalistani sentiment is rising in the country

Khalistan supporters try to incite violence at Indian embassy in Washington

A group of Khalistan supporters gathered in front of the Indian mission here and many of their speakers tried to incite violence, but timely intervention by an alert US Secret Service and local police prevented a repeat of London and San Francisco incidents of vandalism at the mission. Separatist Sikhs, who gathered outside the Indian Embassy in downtown Washington DC on Saturday, heralded abusive language and openly threatened Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The Ambassador was not in the embassy at the time of the protest. Some of the speakers were seen inciting fellow protestors to indulge in violence and break the windows and glasses of the building across the road. In their speeches, most of the protestors were seen trying to incite violence not only in India but here as well, including physical damage to the Indian Embassy property. Sensing that things might go out of control, the Secret Service and the local police quickly brought in reinforcement and more

LIVE: India logs 1,890 new Covid-19 cases in a day, active tally jumps

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Patiala woman arrested for harbouring Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh

The Punjab Police has arrested a woman from Patiala for allegedly sheltering fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his aide, officials said on Sunday. According to a senior police official, Amritpal and his aide Papalpreet Singh had allegedly stayed at the residence of Balbir Kaur in Patiala's Hargobind Nagar on March 19. Kaur allegedly sheltered Amritpal and Papalpreet for five to six hours before they moved to Shahabad in Haryana's Kurukshetra district, the police said. Amritpal has been on the run since March 18 when the police launched a crackdown against him and elements of 'Waris Punjab De', an outfit headed by him. The elusive preacher himself gave the police the slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Punjab's Jalandhar district. On Saturday, CCTV camera footage purportedly showing Amritpal, dressed in a jacket and trousers and speaking on a mobile phone, emerged in Patiala. In the footage, the 'Waris Punjab De' chief could also be seen

Akal Takht Jathedar asks radical preacher Amritpal to surrender to police

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh Saturday asked fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh to surrender before police and cooperate with investigation. The Jathedar of Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of Sikhs) also questioned police's competence, wondering why they have not been able to nab the self-styled Sikh preacher despite having such a big force. "If Amritpal is out (of police net), then I will ask him to present (before police) and cooperate with (police) investigation," said the Jathedar. Singh's remarks come in the wake of Punjab Police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh and elements of 'Waris Punjab De', an outfit headed by him. Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, when the police crackdown began. Several images and videos have shown him taking multiple vehicles to dodge police. The preacher himself gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. His whereabouts are still ...

Fugitive Amritpal seen in jacket, trousers in CCTV footage from Patiala

As pro-Khalistan radical preacher Amritpal Singh remained elusive, a new CCTV footage emerged on Saturday purportedly showing him wearing a jacket and trousers and speaking on a mobile phone. There was no official word from police on the undated footage, which is circulating on social media and is said to be from Patiala. In the footage, the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit chief could be seen holding a bag with his face covered with a white cloth. His key associate Papalpreet Singh could also be seen in the footage. In a second footage from the same spot, Amritpal Singh wearing goggles could be seen walking on the street and speaking on a phone. The self-styled Sikh preacher continued to be on the run for a week now following the police crackdown against him and his Waris Punjab De outfit. The whereabouts of Amritpal Singh and Papalpreet Singh remain unknown after they were allegedly harboured by a woman at her home in Shahabad in Haryana's Kurukshetra district on March 19. The woman, B

Punjab govt won't hesitate in taking tough decisions: Kejriwal on Amritpal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab will not hesitate in taking tough decisions to maintain law and order as he asserted that those who were trying to spoil the atmosphere in the state are on the run. Kejriwal's remarks come in the wake of Punjab police action against radical preacher Amritpal Singh and elements of an outfit, headed by him, named 'Waris Punjab De.' AAP supremo Kejriwal along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was in Jalandhar, where the crackdown on the Khalistan sympathiser began on Saturday, to lay the foundation stone of Sri Guru Ravidas Bani Adhyan Centre at Dera Sachkhand Ballan here. Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal said whoever tries to disturb peace in Punjab will not be spared. "In the past few days, you saw how some people tried to disturb peace in Punjab, he said. "We do not have to allow the atmosphere to be spoiled at any cost," he said, adding, We have to maintain peace, law and order i