Amritpal Singh disowns his mother's remark on Khalistan

Who: Amritpal Singh, the Waris Punjab De chief who won the Khadoor Sahib seat from Dibrugarh jail in June 2024; his mother Balwinder Kaur; his father Tarsem Singh; Giani Harpreet Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib; and Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu.

What: On Friday 5 July 2024 Amritpal was flown from Assam to Delhi on four-day custody parole and sworn in as an MP in the Lok Sabha Speaker's chamber. That day his mother told reporters at her home in Amritsar that her son was not a supporter of Khalistan. She said he had campaigned on the drug menace and the release of the Bandi Singhs, that he had fought the election within the Constitution, and that he should be freed at once.

On the night of 6 July a statement headed "official statement by Bhai Amritpal Singh" was issued through his team and surfaced on X. He said he was hurt, that he believed his mother had spoken unknowingly, and that such words should never come from his family or his supporters. He called dreaming of Khalsa Raj a matter of pride, not a crime, and said that if he had to choose between the Panth and his family he would choose the Panth. He told a story from the time of Banda Singh Bahadur of a boy who disowned his mother when she denied he was a Sikh, and accepted that the example was harsh.

His mother later said in a video message that the media had twisted her words. Tarsem Singh said the statement looked genuine and that the family was not versed in the political side. On 7 July the parents met Giani Harpreet Singh at the Golden Temple complex, and the Jathedar spoke of the discrimination Sikh detainees face. On 9 July Bittu said "some forces" were pressuring Balwinder Kaur; the report does not say who.

Where: Delhi, where the oath was taken; Amritsar, where his mother spoke and the parents met the Jathedar; and Dibrugarh jail in Assam, where Amritpal is held.

Why it mattered: Amritpal has been held under the National Security Act since April 2023, after the Ajnala police station incident, and the label "Khalistani" sits at the centre of how the state and the press describe him. His mother's words were a plea for release on the ground that he was no separatist. His reply refused that route and put Khalsa Raj, and the Panth, above family. It was the first big public test of his politics after the June win, and PTI and The Tribune both reported his answer.