Govts should refrain from creating atmosphere of terror: Akal Takht Jathedar amid Punjab Police action on radical preacher

Chandigarh: Amid police crackdown on radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Sunday said governments should refrain from creating an "atmosphere of terror for political interests".

The Jathedar of Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, said governments should refrain from adopting the "practice of oppression and illegal detention" of youth who speak for their rights in a democratic manner, and asserted that Punjab has already suffered a lot and it is now necessary to move towards a better future.

The statement came amid the Punjab Police crackdown against self-styled Sikh preacher Amritpal and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De.' Though the police claimed to have arrested 78 persons, Amritpal was still on the run.

In a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his 'Waris Punjab De', Punjab Police had arrested several persons associated with the outfit headed by the radical preacher but he managed to give cops a slip.

The Jathedar said, "In the memories of Punjab, there are deep wounds of oppression of the past governments and no government has ever been serious to take corrective measures." "This context cannot be ignored that there is a lot of dissatisfaction in Sikh youth against the discriminations and excesses by successive governments of time. But there are also big powers which constantly remain waiting for opportunities to play with the emotions of the Sikh youth to make them directionless and scapegoats," he said in a statement.

Singh advised the Sikh youth to walk on the path of transforming their intellectual and academic life instead of taking the path of conflict and invited them to preserve golden future of 'Qaum' (community).

"….the youth should refrain from getting involved in any temptation, which gives the government an opportunity to suppress the Sikh youth," he said.

He alleged that governments' policy of "weakening the Sikhs religiously and politically creates a vacuum and unrest among the Sikhs" and this practice is neither in the interest of the governments nor Punjab.