US Sikh attorney appeals to Kamala Harris for release of Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh

American-Sikh lawyer Jaspreet Singh has sought the intervention of US Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the release of Khalistani sympathizer Amritpal Singh from jail. Amritpal Singh, an Independent candidate who won the Khadoor-Sahib seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, is currently incarcerated in Assam's Dibrugarh jail on terrorism charges. Jaspreet Singh argues that Amritpal Singh's detention is "unjust" after a thorough review of the case.

Amritpal Singh, leader of Waris Punjab De, was arrested in April 2023 following his surrender in Punjab's Moga district, after evading capture for over a month. The Punjab Police charged him under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

Jaspreet Singh plans to engage with over a hundred American Congress members to exert pressure on the Indian government for Amritpal Singh's release. "I have met Vice President Harris twice in the last two-three months. We discussed immigration issues and Amritpal Singh's case. She has agreed to meet me on June 11," Singh stated in a YouTube video.

Amritpal Singh, who ran for election from jail, won by a significant margin, defeating Congress's Kulbir Singh by nearly two lakh votes. "Amritpal Singh's landslide victory and his ongoing detention raise serious human rights concerns," Jaspreet Singh said.

Representing various Sikh organizations in America, Jaspreet Singh has a long history of advocacy on immigration and hate crime issues. This case marks his first fervent involvement in an issue concerning India. He has engaged several American Senators and Congress members, including Senator Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen from Nevada and Congressman Ruben Gallego from Arizona, to discuss Amritpal Singh's situation.

Singh has prepared detailed reports and letters addressed to US leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Rob Menendez of New Jersey. "I have spoken to more than 20 American leaders, and they all agree this issue needs serious attention. America values human rights, whether domestic or international," Singh noted.

The legal team supporting Jaspreet Singh believes Amritpal Singh's detention is unjust, arguing that punishment should be proportional to the crime. "We approached the American government with this issue from a human rights perspective," Singh explained.

Jaspreet Singh plans to continue his efforts by engaging with over a hundred Congress members to apply further pressure on the Indian government for Amritpal Singh's release. Amritpal Singh had previously evaded police capture in Jalandhar on March 18, following a February 23 incident in Ajnala where he and his supporters clashed with police, demanding the release of his aide, Lovepreet Singh Toofan.

Amritpal Singh and his associates face multiple criminal charges, including spreading disharmony, attempted murder, assault on police personnel, and obstructing public servants in their duties. The NSA was later invoked against him, leading to his current detention.

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