Amritpal Singh
Amritpal Singh Sandhu (born 17 January 1993) is a radical pro-Khalistan separatist, and a self-styled Sikh preacher. After living in Dubai for a decade, he returned to Punjab in September 2022, having been controversially appointed as the leader of Waris Punjab De (lit. "Heirs of Punjab"), and started a campaign which encouraged youth to refrain from drugs, adopt a traditionalist form of Sikhism, and advocated a sovereign Sikh state called Khalistan.
Amritpal Singh Sandhu | |
|---|---|
Singh in 2022 | |
| 2nd Jathedar of Waris Punjab De | |
| Assumed office 29 September 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Deep Sidhu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 January 1993 Jallupur Khaira, Baba Bakala, Amritsar, Punjab, India |
| Known for | Khalistani separatism |
Indian intelligence sources claim that Sandhu has been supported by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and that he has stockpiled arms while raising a private militia called Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF). In March 2023, the state government, acting in coordination with the central government, launched an intense crackdown on Sandhu and his associates. He was arrested on 23 April 2023 for attempted murder, among other charges.