Sikh separatist lay seize to police station in Amritsar, attack cops with swords

• Scores of supporters led by Singh had assembled at the police station in Ajnala in Amritsar
• The supporters were carrying swords and other arms; they broke the barricades put up by police
• Heavy security arrangements were made at the police station as the protesters began a dharna in the complex

Supporters of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh clashed with police officials and stormed a police complex in Punjab's Amritsar district on Thursday. They were protesting the arrest of one of his associates.

Chief ‘Waris Punjab De’ Amritpal said, “The FIR was registered only with a political motive. If he doesn't cancel the case within 1 hour, everything that happens next will be the responsibility of the administrator. They think we can't do anything, so this show of force was necessary."

Police have charged Singh and his supporters with allegedly kidnapping the man.

Dozens of supporters, led by Singh, gathered at the Ajnal police station in Amritsar, carrying swords and other weapons. They broke through the barricades erected by the police. Tight security measures were taken at the police station as protesters staged a dharna at the complex.

A case has been registered against Singh, a self-proclaimed preacher, and his supporters for allegedly abducting and beating up Varinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district. Amritpal Singh is said to have recently threatened Union Home Minister Amit Shah that he would meet the same fate as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Amritpal Singh, who returned to Dubai, is the head of 'Waris Punjab De', an organization founded by actor-activist Deep Sidhu, who died in a road accident last February.