Amritpal Singh Releases Video While On The Run, Calls Police's Crackdown A 'Crime'

New Delhi: Waris Punjab De chief and fugitive Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh who has been on the run from the Punjab police issued his first video message which has gone viral on social media. In the video, he spoke about members of Waris Punjab De and his colleagues being jailed and compared it to "oppression". 

Singh, in the video, claimed that he would have surrendered himself to the police if the Punjab police came to his house. "If the Punjab government had the intention of arresting me, police could have come to my house and I would have given in," he said as quoted by PTI.

"The Almighty saved us from the attempt of 'lakhs of cops' who were sent to make an arrest," he further said.

The video surfaced soon after reports claimed that the Khalistan sympathizer may surrender on Wednesday at the Golden Temple. However, the Amritsar Police Commissioner told ANI that the Punjab police have not received any such information. 

In the video, Singh called for a Sarbat Khalsa on the occasion of Baisakhi, appealing to Sikh organisations and political parties. He also called on Sikhs who were living abroad and across India to pay attention to the developments in India and be a participant in discussions of "issues" pertaining to Sikhs.

On March 18, in Jalandhar, Amritpal Singh managed to evade the police by altering his appearance and switching vehicles. He and his partners were charged with several criminal offenses, including inciting discord among social groups, attempted murder, assaulting police officers, and obstructing public servants from performing their duties lawfully.