Amritpal Singh's Khalistan demand due to 'Hindu Rashtra' talk by BJP: Ashok Gehlot

Bharatpur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday claimed that the Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh dared to speak about Khalistan because of the frequent refrain by the BJP and RSS of 'Hindu Rashtra'.

"A new name has emerged in Punjab, Amritpal. Amritpal Singh says that if Mohan Bhagwat and Narendra Modi could talk about Hindu Rashtra, then why should I not talk about Khalistan? Look at his audacity. He got the courage to because you talk about Hindu Rashtra?" Gehlot said addressing the divisional-level workers' conference here.

"It is easy to start a fire but it takes time to extinguish it. This is not happening for the first time in the country. Indira Gandhi was killed because of this. She did not let Khalistan be created What should I say today?" Gehlot said.
The Chief Minister alleged that the politics of religion is being done in the country.

"Politics is being done in the name of religion in the country. But if you take along the people belonging to every religion and caste for the country's good, this country will remain united," he said.

Meanwhile, Amritpal Singh surfaced in a new video and said he was not "a fugitive" and will soon "appear in front of the world".

In the unverified video, Amritpal Singh sought to address some comments about the video that surfaced on March 29.

"I uploaded a video yesterday. It was addressed to people. Public thinks that maybe the video was made in police custody because I was looking here and there in that video while talking. You can see other earlier video, I don't talk too much looking at the camera," he said.

Amritpal Singh also said that people should not think that that he has run away or left his friends.

The pro-KhaIistan leader, who has been declared fugitive by Punjab Police, said no one should have an apprehension that he had not run away from his people.

"Soon I will appear in front of the world. I'm not the kind of person who will go abroad and put videos," he said.

Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him.

The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23 demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.