Amritpal Singh Will Contest from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent: Jailed Sikh Preacher’s Father

After the Shiromani Akali Dal announced Virsa Singh Valtoha as its candidate from Khadoor Sahib, Tarsem Singh, the father of jailed Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, who is contesting the elections from the seat as an independent candidate, said that the ‘end of the Akali Dal is certain’.

Amritsar: Days after meeting Virsa Singh Valtoha, the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate for Khadoor Sahib seat, the family of jailed Sikh preacher and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh have ruled out support to the Akali Dal asserting Amritpal will contest from the seat as an independent candidate.

Talking to the media in Amritsar on Monday, Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh said that his son is contesting the elections while expressing shock at the SAD’s decision to field candidate on the seat.

Tarsem Singh said that Amritpal’s candidature was announced four days ago and the Akali Dal should have supported him for “Panthic interests and avoid division of votes”.

Tarsem said that the Shiromani Akali Dal is contesting Lok Sabha election from 12 seats in Punjab and could have left the Khadoor Sahib seat for Amritpal for the sake of Panthic interests. He hoped that the Shiromani Akali Dal will review its decision to field a candidate from the constituency.

Interestingly, the statement by Amritpal Singh’s family comes days after Valtoha met them at Heritage Street near Golden Temple in Amritsar. Valtoha had urged Amritpal Singh’s family to motivate their son not to contest elections to avoid division of votes.

Amritpal Singh, who was arrested following violent storming by him and his supporters of Ajnala Police Station last year, is currently lodged in Central Jail at Dibrugarh in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA) along with nine of his aides. His family has been sitting on a protest, demanding shifting of NSA detainees from Assam to a jail in Punjab.

The Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency which came into being in 2008 comprises nine assembly constituencies--Jandiala, Tarn Taran, Khem Karan, Patti, Khadoor Sahib, Baba Bakala, Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi and Zira--and will go to polls in the last phase on June 1.