CHANDIGARH At the time, when people of Punjab are waiting for release of pro-freedom Sikh leader Amritpal Singh after his landslide victory in the recently held parliamentary elections in Khadoor Sahib constituency, the Indian government has extended his detention under the contentious National Security Act (NSA). Same decision has been taken for his nine aides. 

Confirming the development, his legal representative Advocate Imaan Singh Khara said, “As per the decision taken by AAP government of Punjab on June 3, NSA detention of 10 Sikh activists including Amritpal Singh has been extended by one year more”. 

The NSA which is considered as draconian law used to suppress political dissent in India, was invoked against 10 pro-freedom Sikh activists while they were taking out religious procession under the name of Khalsa Vahir to spread the Guru teachings. 

He was an anti-drug crusader. Under the statewide operation launched to oppress the dissenting Sikh activists in Punjab, the government arrested Amritpal Singh and his nine aides and sent them to distant Central Jail of Dibrugarh in Assam, north-eastern state of India.

As an independent candidate, Amritpal registered a thumping victory by a big margin of 1,97,120 votes. He toppled all the mainstream political parties’ candidates. The people gave him an unprecedented mandate, which was basically a protest against his illegal detention. It was expected that the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government would release him soon, giving respect to popular mandate, but contrary to it, it extended his detention one year more. 

The move has further fuelled the resentment among the masses of Punjab and the ruling party may face the music in the upcoming assembly bypolls in Punjab, as per the political observers.