GS Paul

Amritsar, February 22

Irked by the negative response to their demand of shifting Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh and his aides to the Punjab jail, his mother Balwinder Kaur and kin of other detainees have initiated an indefinite hunger strike.

Reports had surfaced that Amritpal Singh and nine others, charged under the National Security Act (NSA) at Dibrugarh (Assam) central jail, have been observing hunger strike from February 16 accusing jail authorities of infringing their privacy by installing surveillance cameras in their barracks and bathrooms without their knowledge.

On Thursday, amid heavy police security, the parents of Amritpal and kin of other detainees with their supporters reached the Golden Temple complex.

After conducting ardas at the Akal Takht, they declared to go on hunger strike at the entrance plaza of the shrine. Later, they shifted to the Heritage Street, leading to the shrine, to resume their sit-in.

Meanwhile, SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann and other party members also visited them.

On February 20, a demand letter was given to Amritsar DC Ghanshyam Theori, with an ultimatum of 24 hours to take up the matter with the state government department concerned to facilitate their shifting to Punjab jail, but in vain.

Kaur said they would resort to hunger strike till Amritpal and other detainees were brought to the Punjab jail.

“We have no faith in the administration. The demand letter given to the DC, Amritsar, was being overlooked. What heinous crime have they committed? They have already undergone one-year imprisonment in Assam and not been given bail,” she said, claiming that around 30 others lodged in the Amritsar jail in the Ajnala violence case were also observing hunger strike for the past three days.

On April 23, 2023, after being on the run for around 35 days, Amritpal was arrested by Punjab Police from a gurdwara at Rode village in Moga district and sent to Dibrugarh jail.

The nine associates of Amritpal Singh who were booked under the NSA are Daljeet Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla.