Chandigarh Border Turns Battleground As Waris Punjab De Workers Push For Amritpal Singh's Release
Chandigarh Border Turns Battleground As Waris Punjab De Workers Push For Amritpal Singh's Release Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 15:41 IST Police fired
Chandigarh Border Turns Battleground As Waris Punjab De Workers Push For Amritpal Singh's Release Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 15:41 IST Police fired water cannons and threw up barricades at border as Akali Dal Waris Punjab De workers pressed for Amritpal's release, in scenes marked by scuffles and slogan-shouting. Leaders and workers of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De clashed with police on Wednesday. Chandigarh witnessed dramatic scenes on Wednesday as leaders and workers of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De clashed with police during a protest demanding the release of party MP Amritpal Singh and other detained Sikhs, with authorities deploying water cannons and heavy barricading at the Chandigarh-Mohali border to hold back the crowd. The stir, which had been building since a scheduled rally from Gurdwara Amb Sahib to the Punjab governor’s house was flagged by Chandigarh Traffic Police a day earlier, saw protesters attempt to push past barricades erected behind Burail Jail as police moved to contain the crowd.
In one of the more striking moments of the standoff, a Waris Punjab De worker was seen climbing atop a police water cannon vehicle even as jets of water were being used to disperse the gathering — a scene that came to symbolise the intensity of Wednesday’s face-off. Slogans demanding Amritpal Singh’s release, along with that of other Sikh detainees, echoed through the area as police worked to keep the protest from advancing further into the city. #WATCH | Chandigarh: An Akali Dal Waris Punjab De worker climbs over a water cannon vehicle during their protest demanding the release of its MP Amritpal Singh and other Sikh leaders. pic.twitter.com/GdetjHx5VA— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2026 Why Are Protesters Demanding Amritpal Singh’s Release? Amritpal Singh has been lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail since his arrest on April 23, 2023, and has been held under the Security Act (NSA) since then. He was arrested from Moga’s Rode village days after he and his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station on February 23, 2023, clashing with police in a bid to free an aide who had been detained for allegedly making inflammatory, pro-Khalistan statements.
What Is Amritpal Singh’s Background? Before returning to Punjab in 2022 following the death of actor Deep Sidhu, Amritpal had been based in Dubai. On his return, he took charge of Waris Punjab De, the organisation Sidhu had founded, and has since been described as leading a pro-Khalistani outfit. He went on to win the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib while still in custody. How Long Has His Detention Continued — And What’s the Legal Status? His detention under the NSA has been extended twice since his 2023 arrest — first in April 2024, and again in April 2025. Following the latest extension, Amritpal moved the Supreme Court challenging the continued detention; the matter remains before the court. What Happens Next? With barricades still up at the Chandigarh-Mohali border and police maintaining a heavy presence, further rounds of protest by Waris Punjab De cannot be ruled out, particularly as the Supreme Court plea over Amritpal’s detention remains pending.
The BriefWire