‘Don’t fire bullets…’: Bhagwant Mann’s midnight call during Amritpal Singh operation

When Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann got information that ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh, who had been evading the police for 36 days, was spotted and cornered in Moga’s Rode village, he, on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, directed a top police officer to ensure that the sanctity of the gurdwara was maintained and there was no firing of bullets, The Indian Express reported.

“He categorically said that there cannot be an issue like Bargari and Behbal Kalan that would keep haunting the state for years. He gave out the orders that there will be no firing of bullets and the police would not enter the premises of the gurdwara,” the newspaper quoted an aide of Mann as saying.

The aide Mann had dialled Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav and kept taking all updates from him.

“When it was decided that the entire village would be cordoned off, the CM asked the DGP to ensure that there was heavy police presence but no panic. So, it was decided that the police would be posted in the village in civil clothes as such heavy force in uniform could have become a reason for panic or protests,” the person told the newspaper.

The aide said Mann was informed that Amritpal’s network had been completely dismantled, and his main handlers had been arrested and imprisoned. This left him with no support, and those who had previously sheltered him had also been apprehended. Consequently, people in Punjab had ceased offering lifts to strangers in their cars after the crackdown on the radical preacher.

This time, the police were better prepared than the previous attempt on March 18, and they took their time deploying officers across the village before cordoning it off. They sent messages to Amritpal informing him that the village had been cordoned off and that any attempt to escape would be futile. Amritpal surrendered and was immediately arrested. Prior to surrendering, he recorded a video in front of a portrait of slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, announcing his surrender.

The preacher was taken into custody at 6.45 am as he came out – in the traditional attire that included a sheathed sword – of the gurdwara in Rode, Bhindranwale’s native village and also the place where he himself took over last year as the chief of Waris Punjab De.

Hours after Amritpal was arrested, Mann said he was in touch with senior officials throughout Saturday night about the operation and asserted that those who try to disturb peace will face action as per law.

Facing flak over the last month for the failure to arrest Amritpal, the chief minister stressed he did not want any bloodshed during the operation.

He said after he received information on Saturday night, “I did not sleep the whole night and I was in regular touch with senior officials over phone after every 15 minutes, half an hour to get information.”

“I wanted that entire thing (operation to arrest Amritpal) should be done in a peaceful manner,” he added.

Referring to the police crackdown on March 18 against Amritpal and his aides belonging to the outfit, Mann said in an attempt to arrest the radical preacher on that day, “maybe, bullets could have been fired. But we did not want any bloodshed”.