Pro-Khalistani Leader Amritpal Singh To Contest Lok Sabha Polls?

Jailed chief of 'Waris Punjab De' and pro-Khalistani leader Amrit Pal Singh may contest in the Lok Sabha elections, if various media reports are to be believed. According to reports, he is set to contest from the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab. Currently lodged in the Dibrugarh jail of Assam, Amritpal Singh is facing stringent charges including the National Security Act (NSA). He was arrested by Punjab Police and was shifted to Assam over security concerns.

As per the report by The Indian Express, Amrit Pal Singh's lawyer, Rajdev Singh Khalsa, has confirmed his candidacy. Khalsa claimed that Amrit Pal will contest the election as an independent candidate. He stated that he met Amrit Pal in Dibrugarh today (April 24) and during the meeting, Amrit Pal confirmed that he is ready to contest from the Khadoor Sahib constituency. As per reports, a mainstream party is considering extending support to Amrit Pal. However, Amrit Pal Singh's mother, Balvinder Kaur, informed the media that his wife recently met him and didn't reveal any such details. 

Amrit Pal Singh gained attention last year in February when his supporters besieged the Ajnala police station in Amritsar. Lovepreet Toofan, a close aide of Singh, was arrested in a case related to kidnapping and assault. On February 16, a person named Veerendra Singh filed a case against Amrit Pal and some of his associates. Following this case, the police arrested Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan from Gurdaspur. Amrit Pal, alarmed by this arrest, began openly threatening the administration. He issued an ultimatum to the police that if his associate was not released, he would besiege the police station with his supporters. 

It was February 23, 2023 when thousands of Amrit Pal Singh's supporters gathered in Ajnala armed with guns, swords, and lathis. All of them protested against the arrest of Amrit Pal's close associate Lovepreet Toofan on charges of assaulting police officers. Several policemen were injured during the confrontation in which they broke the jail to free Toofan.