Punjab: 7 people detained ahead of ‘Chetna March’ supporting Amritpal Singh in Bathinda

Bathinda (Punjab) [India], April 9 (ANI): Around seven people were detained by Punjab police ahead of the ‘Chetna March’ planned in support of Amritpal Singh, chief of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit, on Tuesday.

They were going to Bathinda to participate in the Chetna March in support of Amritpal Singh and his associates, currently lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA).

Speaking to ANI, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Bathinda Range, Surinder Pal Singh Parmar said, “Around 5-7 people who were going to participate in the ‘Chetna’ march in support of Amritpal lodged in Dibrugarh jail have been detained. Wherever we anticipate a law and order situation and we have the provision to detain, preventive action is carried out. These are just preventive measures, any civilian who wants to come and visit the ‘Akal Takht’ is welcome.”

The march is scheduled to start from Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda, and culminate at Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar on Tuesday.

With the code of conduct imposed all over the country in view of the Lok Sabha elections, they were detained under preventive action.

Amritpal Singh was arrested in April last year and the stringent National Security Act was invoked against him. He and nine of his associates are currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam.

Last month, the government extended the NSA against Amritpal and his nine associates.