Pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh's backers to form political party

AMRITSAR: Eyeing to establish their governance in Punjab, a group which has been supporting jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh is poised to register a new political party in collaboration with the like-minded persons. The objective is to “establish Dharam da Raj” in the region.“Parties that have been governing Punjab until now, even if they referred to themselves as Akalis, have never allowed the principles of Miri-Piri bestowed by Guru Hargobind Patshah to be implemented in their governance,” alleged Sukhchain Singh, uncle of Amritpal.Amritpal is currently lodged in Assam’s high security Dibrugar jail under the National Security Act (NSA). Sukhchain alleged that even the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee had long been perceived as a pup- pet controlled by one political family, which had caused deep disappointment among every Sikh who desired to see the Sikh philosophy reflected in the Sikh politics.The announcement to form a new party coincides with the second anniversary of ‘dastarbandi’ of Amritpal on Sept 29. Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh claimed that in recent times, the political parties that governed Punjab had confronted religious organisations rather than supporting them, perpetrating injustices against these religious groups, whether it was the Congress, the BJP, or the Akali factions, and now the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).“Leaders at every level of previous governments have prioritised money over religion, leading the youth into addiction,” said Tarsem Singh. “When Amritpal initiated a movement to free youth from addiction and began Khalsa Vahir, he was met with extreme repression, including being sent thousands of miles away to Dibruigarh jail under the NSA,” he added.