The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Sunday claimed that radical preacher Amritpal Singh surrendered before the police as per the advice of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.

In a statement here, the party said, “Following the peaceful manner in which Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh handed himself over to the law, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government should proceed against him only as per law and put an immediate end to the prosecution and harassment of innocent Sikhs.” On March 25, the Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, had asked Amritpal to surrender before police and cooperate with investigation.

The Punjab Police arrested Amritpal in Moga's Rode village early Sunday, ending an over a month-long manhunt against the radical preacher who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

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.

SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said now that Amritpal Singh submitted to the majesty of the law, it was incumbent on the AAP government to explain why it had created a “fear psychosis” on this issue, according to the statement.

“The actions of the AAP government till now have only served to defame the Sikh community worldwide, besides resulting in a flight of capital from the state and led to a sense of insecurity amongst Punjabis. Communal tensions have also been deliberately inflamed,” Cheema alleged.

The SAD leader said the manner in which Punjabis had maintained communal harmony and rejected divisive forces who wanted to divide them proved that they stood for peace and brotherhood among all communities.

“The AAP government was trying to create a deliberate hype on the issue by requisitioning paramilitary forces and imposing emergency like curbs on the media and intelligentsia. This must end immediately”, he said.

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