American-Sikh lawyer Jaspreet Singh has sought the intervention of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the release of Sikh extremist Amritpal Singh, currently detained in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail on terror charges. Amritpal Singh, who created significant unrest in Punjab and disturbed the region’s law and order for over a month, won the Khadoor-Sahib seat as an Independent candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha election while in jail.
Amritpal Singh, the chief of Waris Punjab De, was arrested in April 2023 after surrendering in Punjab’s Moga district. The Punjab Police invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against him following his evasion of law enforcement for more than a month.
Jaspreet Singh has argued that Amritpal Singh’s detention is “unjust” and has rallied support from various American leaders. Singh, who has created an image of himself as an advocate of immigration issues and combating hate crimes, stated that he has met with Vice President Harris multiple times to discuss the matter. He plans to meet her again on June 11 to further advocate for Amritpal’s release.
The latest intervention is an early sign of how external forces might try to interfere in India’s internal matters. The US attorney taking interest in the matter shows that the separatist element inculcated by Amritpal is not borne out of India, but outside. With US at the helm of it, the gigantic power which time and again has failed to address its domestic issues but keeps a prying eye on the matters of other countries which are more than capable to solve their matters on their own terms.
Running as an Independent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Amritpal Singh won the Khadoor Sahib seat, defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira by 1,97,120 votes. Amritpal secured 4,04,430 votes, while Zira received 2,07,310. The fact remains that when individuals like Amritpal are voted to power, it shows the ugly trends of public apathy for the constitution, the democratic principals, and the sovereignty of the country.
Amritpal Singh’s controversial activities include his involvement in the February 23 Ajnala incident, where he and his armed supporters clashed with police in Amritsar, demanding the release of his aide Lovepreet Singh Toofan. This incident led to multiple criminal charges, including spreading disharmony, attempted murder, and attacking police personnel, with NSA charges later added.
Jaspreet Singh argues that this raises serious questions about human rights and has prepared detailed reports for numerous American leaders, including Senator Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen and Congressman Ruben Gallego.
Singh emphasized that over 20 American leaders agree that Amritpal Singh’s case requires serious attention. “America values human rights, whether domestic or international,” Singh noted, highlighting his ongoing efforts to engage with over a hundred Congressmen to pressure the Indian government for Singh’s release.
The legal team supporting Jaspreet Singh maintains that Amritpal Singh’s detention is disproportionate to his actions, urging for a human rights-based approach to his case.
The landslide victory of Amritpal Singh will now be used as fuel by these External forces to interfere in India’s domestic matter, clearly expressing their predatory nature, and disrespect for the India’s national integrity. By extending support to these radical elements, they are signaling that they are eager to fragmentize and feed over the remains of a debilitated state in the aftermath. This is no way a matter of Human rights, but a radical element trying to destabilize the social fragment, and as responsible citizens of the nation we must protest to this.
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