Amritpal Singh ‘hurt’ by mother’s remark on his ideology

AMRITSAR: Jailed Punjab MP and radical Sikh preacherAmritpal Singh on Sunday rebuffed his mother Balwinder Kaur's purported defence of his ideology, saying he was "deeply hurt" by her remark that "speaking up for the state and its youth does not make my son a Khalistan supporter".
"While I believe what my Mataji said was unintentional, such remarks should not come from my family or anyone who supports me," Amritpal, who had been granted parole for his swearing-in last Friday, said in a statement put out by his team.
"Dreaming of 'khalsa raj' isn't a crime but a source of pride. We cannot forsake the path for which lakhs of Sikhs sacrificed their lives."
Amritpal, who won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat, said if he ever had to "choose between the Panth and my family", he would pick the former.
The Waris Punjab De chief recounted a historical event where Sikhs accompanying Banda Singh Bahadur were martyred. "To save her 14-year-old son, a mother disowned him by saying he was not a Sikh. In response, the youth said, 'If this woman says I am not a Sikh, then I say she is not my mother'," he said.
Balwinder wrote on social media that her remark about Amritpal being referred to as a "pro-Khalistan" preacher had been "extracted" out of her by the media. "I am not a politician. I only sought to say that Amritpal has taken oath under the Constitution and the onus is on him to decide his next course of action," she said.
Balwinder and her husband Tarsem Singh met the jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh, earlier in the day to discuss, among other things, how to fight for his release from jail in Assam's Dibrugarh.
Giani Harpreet objected to the extension of Amritpal's incarceration under the National Security Act and the manner in which he was sworn in while on parole, sources said.