Waris Punjab De (meaning "heirs of Punjab")[1][2] is a
Sikhpolitical group based in
Punjab, India. It was initially a
pressure group advocating issues related to the state,[3] which subsequently became pro-
Khalistan.[4]Deep Sidhu was the group's founder-chief until his death in February 2022.[4]Amritpal Singh took charge of the group after the death of its founder.[5]
History
Formation
On 29 September 2021,
Sandeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Deep Sidhu, announced the formation of Waris Punjab De, as “a
Pressure group to protect and fight for rights of
Punjab and raise social issues”.[3][6][7] The organization played a role in the
2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest under the leadership of its founder.[7] During the protests, Amritpal Singh joined Waris Punjab De, founded by actor and activist Sidhu to mobilise farmers.[8]
Tenure of Amritpal Singh
Amritpal Singh took over as leader of the organization after the death of its founder in an automobile accident. It is rumoured that Deep Sidhu and Amritpal Singh had never actually met in real life and only interacted over social media.[9] The family of Deep Sidhu have questioned Singh's claim to leadership.[10] A letter appeared on a Facebook account of Waris Punjab De on 4 March 2022 appointing Amritpal as the organisation's leader.[11] The appointment remains controversial. According to some sources, Sidhu had appointed Harnek Singh Uppal as the head of the organisation even while he was alive. So Sidhu's death did not make a difference to the organisation. A break-away faction of the organisation apparently chose Amritpal as its leader using a "hacked" Facebook account, while the original organisation has continued under Uppal (now called the "Deep Sidhu faction").[12][11][13]
After the coming of leadership of Amritpal Singh, the mission of the organization has shifted towards the aims of “follow the tenets of Sikhism” and “establish Khalsa Raj”.[14] The organization supported the
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) in the
2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election.[15] It launched a movement to promote Sikhs to undergo the
Amrit Sanskar initiation ceremony into the
Khalsa order, condemned drug usage and addiction, and practices such as
dowry, through tours throughout the state of Punjab in November 2022.[16] On 23 February 2023, clashes between supporters of the group and police broke out in
Ajnala, Punjab.[17] The group was criticized for carrying a copy of the
Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, during the clashes, with some arguing that it was used as a "shield".[18] The body has been accused of being funded by the Pakistani
ISI.[19]
On 18 March 2023, Indian authorities launched a
manhunt for Singh after he was accused by police of
attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement and creating "disharmony" in society.[20] During the manhunt, Indian authorities deployed thousands of paramilitary police and restricted Internet and mobile messaging services for nearly 30 million people across the Punjab state.[20]
Indian authorities also arrested more than 200 people while conducting a massive manhunt.[21][22][23] Meanwhile, Singh was nowhere to be found.[24] After more than a month, on 23 April 2023, Singh was arrested from Rode village in
Moga district, Punjab. Later, he was taken to the high-security
Dibrugarh jail in
Assam state.[25]