Latest news with #Amritpal
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Kin of arrested man meet Fauja's family
Fauja Singh, popularly known as the 'Sikh Superman,' stunned the world by shattering several records as a marathon runner in multiple age brackets. JALANDHAR: Relatives of Amritpal Singh Dhillon, who has been arrested for the hit-and-run that killed iconic marathoner Fauja Singh, visited the bereaved family in Beas Pind village on Thursday afternoon to condole his death. Many of them knew the 114-year-old legend personally and it was a massive shock to them when they not only learnt of his death in an accident but also that one of their own was allegedly responsible for it. Amritpal, 26, who works in Canada, was arrested from his home in Dasupur late Tuesday night. Dasupur is barely 3km from Beas Pind and everyone knows Fauja in these parts, as do lakhs around the globe. According to police, Amritpal told them after his arrest that he didn't know the man he hit on Jalandhar-Pathankot NH Monday afternoon was the world's oldest marathoner. He told the police he felt guilty when he learnt from news reports that Fauja had died. However, Amritpal made no attempt to take responsibility. Not only had he sped away, leaving the 114-year-old fatally injured on the highway, he didn't surrender and tried to keep a low profile. But police managed to track him down from a few pieces of a broken headlight, CCTV camera footage and witness accounts. Confirming that Amritpal's relatives had visited the family, Fauja's son Harbinder said, 'We know that he (Amritpal) did not have any enmity but he should have at least stopped to help. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Rise, Nightfarer... and join forces with your buddies to face the Nightlord! Shop Now If he was scared at that time and sped away, he could have told us later through acquaintances.' On Wednesday, Harbinder said if Fauja had survived, the family might not have pursued a complaint. It is learnt that Amritpal's relatives in the village also came to know about his vehicle hitting Fauja only after police arrived at his home. Fauja, popularly known as the 'Turbaned Tornado', will be cremated in his village, Beas, at noon on Sunday.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Efforts on for safe return of Punjab farmer in Pak police custody, BSF tells family
Bathinda: Nearly four weeks after young Punjab farmer Amritpal Singh inadvertently crossed over into Pakistani territory from his field across the border fence, BSF has informed his family that efforts were being made for his safe return. The family received a letter Thursday from Punjab Frontier BSF headquarters that Pakistan police were investigating the case. Amritpal's family fears Pakistani authorities may suspect him of crossing over intentionally as a spy. In response to a letter from Amritpal's father, Jugraj Singh, to BSF headquarters on July 4, the border force has said Pakistan Rangers was being repeatedly approached for Amritpal's return. However, Pakistan Rangers has said he was in police custody and an "investigation" was in progress. Amritpal — a married man with an infant son — hails from Khere Ke Uttar village and has agricultural land in the jurisdiction of Rana Panjgrain, which is near the Zero Line. On June 21 afternoon, he signed the BSF register at the fence to cross over to his field but didn't sign out. Later, BSF personnel found footprints heading towards Pakistan and realised he had inadvertently crossed the border. On June 22, an FIR was registered and, five days later, BSF told his family Pakistan Rangers had confirmed he was in its custody. The family is desperate to get him back safely and has repeatedly approached BSF and other Indian authorities. Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya met BSF DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary on July 5 and urged him to reach out to Pakistan Rangers through Punjab-based officials of BSF by holding flag meetings. On July 11, Jugraj met Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria, accompanied by BJP's Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi. The governor immediately had a telephonic conversation with BSF officials. Jugraj said they were living in anxiety and had been reaching out to civil and BSF authorities for nearly four weeks but to no avail.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
In Tarn Taran, stakes go beyond bypoll for jailed MP Amritpal Singh's party
Tarn Taran: For NSA detainee and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh 's father, Tarsem Singh, his party's interest in contesting the Tarn Taran assembly seat bypoll is both symbolic and strategic. "Bhai Amritpal's followers want his party to contest to express support for him and his cause," he says. The seat, left vacant after the death of AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, has emerged as a critical political test for Tarsem — not just for votes, but for sentiment. Amritpal, lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA), had secured a surprise victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib despite being incarcerated. One of the nine assembly segments under the Khadoor Sahib constituency is Tarn Taran, where Amritpal received 44,703 votes in 2024. The math, Tarsem believes, favours Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). In the 2022 assembly elections, Dr Sohal had won by getting around 52,000 votes. But numbers are only part of the equation. For 'Team Amritpal', the bypoll is about maintaining symbolic momentum. The panthic image cultivated by Amritpal — with clear echoes of the slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale — is central to his appeal. Amritpal came to prominence in Sep 2022, controversially taking charge of Waris Punjab De, a group founded by the late actor-activist Deep Sidhu. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upto 15% Discount for Salaried Individuals ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo His hardline image, vocal support for Khalistan, and a campaign urging youth to reject drugs and modern vices earned him mass attention and state scrutiny. The breaking point came in Feb 2023, when he and his supporters carried the Guru Granth Sahib — considered the living Guru in Sikhism — to Ajnala police station in Amritsar to free an aide. This act, seen by many as sacrilegious, triggered a statewide crackdown. After evading arrest for 35 days, he was captured in Rode — the same village Bhindranwale hailed from — and subsequently jailed in Assam. Yet, in 2024, his Lok Sabha win was widely interpreted as a public rebuke of the govt's crackdown. Keeping Amritpal's panthic image in mind, Waris Punjab De initially approached Paramjit Kaur Khalra, widow of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, to contest the bypoll, but she declined. Focus then shifted to Satwant Kaur, who is part of the five-member committee opposing Sukhbir Badal's hold on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Waris Punjab De is banking on its panthic image in the bypoll. Tarn Taran's tilet for panthic candidates is visible in the last five assembly elections. The seat elected Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Harmeet Singh Sandhu in 2002, 2007 and 2012. In the last two elections, he lost, but was a close second, as he got 45,156 votes in 2017 and 39,347 in 2022. AAP, for its part, is banking on governance and development. Party spokesperson Shashivir Sharma said, "We have our work to show for it. Our high command will present a strong and dedicated candidate focused on the development of Tarn Taran. What other parties do is their own business." While the date of the bypoll is yet to be announced, Khalsa University vice-chancellor Mehal Singh remarked that development and drug eradication would likely outweigh identity politics. "There was a time when people voted for Amritpal, but that may not be repeated," he said. Box Both ran anti-drug campaigns Both AAP and Amritpal have placed anti-drugs campaigns at the heart of their messaging — though the methods differed. AAP recently launched a broad crackdown on the drug trade, while Amritpal's grassroots campaign in 2022-2023 urged youth to embrace traditional Sikh values and reject addiction. Ultimately, for Amritpal's party, the stakes go beyond one seat. Winning Tarn Taran would be a step toward consolidating Amritpal's symbolic authority and sustaining a panthic narrative. For his opponents, the bypoll will be a litmus test of how deep his influence really runs and whether it ends at the prison gates.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Stakes go beyond bypoll in Tarn Taran for NSA detainee MP Amritpal's party; ; Waris Punjab De's candidate search getting tough after Khalra widow rejects offer
Tarn Taran: For NSA detainee and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh 's father, Tarsem Singh, his party's interest in contesting the Tarn Taran assembly seat bypoll is both symbolic and strategic. "Bhai Amritpal's followers want his party to contest to express support for him and his cause," he says. The seat, left vacant after the death of AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, has emerged as a critical political test for Tarsem — not just for votes, but for sentiment. Amritpal, lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA), had secured a surprise victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib despite being incarcerated. One of the nine assembly segments under the Khadoor Sahib constituency is Tarn Taran, where Amritpal received 44,703 votes in 2024. The math, Tarsem believes, favours Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). In the 2022 assembly elections, Dr Sohal had won by getting around 52,000 votes. But numbers are only part of the equation. For 'Team Amritpal', the bypoll is about maintaining symbolic momentum. The panthic image cultivated by Amritpal — with clear echoes of the slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale — is central to his appeal. Amritpal came to prominence in Sep 2022, controversially taking charge of Waris Punjab De, a group founded by the late actor-activist Deep Sidhu. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo His hardline image, vocal support for Khalistan, and a campaign urging youth to reject drugs and modern vices earned him mass attention and state scrutiny. The breaking point came in Feb 2023, when he and his supporters carried the Guru Granth Sahib — considered the living Guru in Sikhism — to Ajnala police station in Amritsar to free an aide. This act, seen by many as sacrilegious, triggered a statewide crackdown. After evading arrest for 35 days, he was captured in Rode — the same village Bhindranwale hailed from — and subsequently jailed in Assam. Yet, in 2024, his Lok Sabha win was widely interpreted as a public rebuke of the govt's crackdown. Keeping Amritpal's panthic image in mind, Waris Punjab De initially approached Paramjit Kaur Khalra, widow of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, to contest the bypoll, but she declined. Focus then shifted to Satwant Kaur, who is part of the five-member committee opposing Sukhbir Badal's hold on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Waris Punjab De is banking on its panthic image in the bypoll. Tarn Taran's tilet for panthic candidates is visible in the last five assembly elections. The seat elected Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Harmeet Singh Sandhu in 2002, 2007 and 2012. In the last two elections, he lost, but was a close second, as he got 45,156 votes in 2017 and 39,347 in 2022. AAP, for its part, is banking on governance and development. Party spokesperson Shashivir Sharma said, "We have our work to show for it. Our high command will present a strong and dedicated candidate focused on the development of Tarn Taran. What other parties do is their own business." While the date of the bypoll is yet to be announced, Khalsa University vice-chancellor Mehal Singh remarked that development and drug eradication would likely outweigh identity politics. "There was a time when people voted for Amritpal, but that may not be repeated," he said.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why Amritpal Singh is eyeing the Tarn Taran bypoll: A strategic move to retain image & influence
Amritpal Singh TARN TARAN: Amritpal Singh , who is currently lodged in Assam's high-security Dibrugarh jail under charges including those related to the National Security Act (NSA), has once again become a central figure in Tarn Taran's panthic political scene. Singh, who was elected Member of Parliament from the Khadoor Sahib constituency despite being incarcerated, demonstrated his continued appeal among certain sections of Punjab's electorate — particularly those drawn to his panthic image, reminiscent of the slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, former chief of Damdami Taksal. The recent death of AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal has created a vacancy in Tarn Taran, opening up a fresh political opportunity. Within Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) circles and among Amritpal's supporters, there is growing belief that maintaining Amritpal's political momentum is crucial. A win in the upcoming bypoll could help further legitimise his position and keep alive the emotional and ideological connection with his support base. For Team Amritpal, it is a delicate balancing act. On one hand, they aim to preserve the 'Bhindranwale look-alike' aura that Amritpal has built — an image that appeals to voters who view him as a defender of Sikh pride and interests. On the other hand, the team must navigate legal and ethical challenges stemming from his imprisonment, while also countering the renewed push from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo In an effort to retain this symbolic hold, Amritpal's father, Tarsem Singh, confirmed that discussions had begun to field a strong panthic face in the bypoll. Initial attention turned to Paramjit Kaur Khalra, but she declined to contest. Focus then shifted to Satwant Kaur, a member of the five-member committee formed by the Akal Takht. However, she too denied receiving any formal proposal. These developments underscore Team Amritpal's challenge in finding a credible and ideologically aligned candidate who can carry forward his narrative and secure panthic votes in Tarn Taran. The group remains aware that a failure to consolidate this base may open the door for the SAD to reclaim lost ground in its traditional religious-political stronghold. For Amritpal Singh, the stakes are even higher. Winning this electoral contest — even indirectly through a proxy — is vital to maintaining his relevance and reinforcing his presence in Punjab's shifting political landscape. A symbolic victory could help him reassert his influence over a section of the Sikh electorate and push back against established political players like the SAD.
