Chandigarh: A day after taking oath as a Member of Parliament from the Khadoor Sahib Parliamentary constituency of Punjab in Lok Sabha, jailed separatist Amritpal Singh, reiterated his commitment to Khalistan, stating that “dreaming of a Khalsa Raj is not a crime”.
In a statement on X Saturday, Amritpal Singh addressed his mother’s remarks made a day before, in which she claimed that her son was “not a Khalistani supporter” and called for his release.
Amritpal Singh’s X handle @singhamritpal, a verified account, mentions his description as the “Official handle of the Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib, Head of Waris Punjab De”.
His X statement is written in Punjabi. Loosely translated, it begins, “When I came to know about the statement given by my mother yesterday, I felt very sad. I am sure that my mother gave this statement unintentionally, but still, such a statement should not come from my family or anyone who supports me.”
In his statement, Amritpal adds, “Dreaming of Khalsa Raj is not a crime; rather, it is a matter of pride. We cannot even think in our dreams of stepping back from the path for which millions of Sikhs have sacrificed their lives. I have often said from stages that if I have to choose between the Panth and my family, I will always choose the Panth. This reminds me of the historical event where the Sikhs accompanying Banda Singh Bahadur were being martyred. A 14-year-old boy’s mother tried to save him by saying that he was not a Sikh, to which the young boy responded that if this woman says I am not a Sikh of the Guru, then I declare that she is not my mother.”
“Though this example is extremely harsh for this situation, it illustrates the principle. I criticise my family for even thinking about compromising on the Sikh Raj, let alone saying it out loud. Going forward, such a lapse should not occur while addressing the congregation,” the statement concludes.
Speaking to media persons after she met with her son on the day he took oath as Khadoor Sahib MP, Amritpal Singh’s mother had said, “Whatever anyone may say, he is not a Khalistan supporter. Does speaking for the rights of Punjab or saving the youths of Punjab amount to becoming a Khalistan supporter?”
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhari)
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