Amritsar: Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh said he does not consider himself an Indian citizen. The passport is merely a "travel document" and does not make him an Indian, said the 29-year-old pro-Khalistan controversial leader.
Amritpal drew a parallel between “Hindu Rashtra” and “Khalistan”. The separatist leader said that Khalistan looks scary to outsiders only because they see it through the lens of media but clarified that is a “very normal discussion” in Punjab and looks scary to outsiders only because they see it through the lens of media.
Khalistan s a very normal discussion here: Singh
“When you are not Punjabi and do not visit the state very frequently, and when you see everything through media, it looks very scary. But it is not. Khalistan is a very normal discussion here,” he said.
“When somebody says 'Hindu Rashtra' zindabad, what is 'Hindu Rashtra'? Where is it established? People don't feel threatened with it,” Singh claimed. The idea of ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is totally opposite to the idea of 'Khalistan', he asserted.
"Hindu Rashtra does not include other identities, either you are a Hindu or dead. They don't give you options. The idea of Khalistan is so pure, it's idea is the raj of Khalistan," he said.
Amritpal said the incident concerning the Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23 could have been avoided if police were alert and his aide Lovepreet Singh Toofan had not been arrested. The incident and subsequent release of Toofan will "change the course of the future", he said.
Amritpal's supporters, some of them brandishing swords and other weapons, stormed Ajnala police station on Thursday over their demand for the release of Lovepreet Singh.
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