After living in Dubai for a decade, he returned to Punjab in September 2022, having been controversially appointed as the leader of Waris Punjab De and started a campaign which encouraged youth to refrain from drugs, adopt a traditionalist form of Sikhism, and advocated a sovereign Punjabi Sikh nation state called Khalistan.[17][18][19]
Indian intelligence sources claim that Sandhu has been supported by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI),[23] that he has stockpiled arms while raising a private militia called Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF).[24][25][32] In March 2023, the state government, acting in coordination with the central government, launched an intense crackdown on Sandhu and his associates.[36] He was arrested on 23 April 2023 under the National Security Act (India).[37][38]
^ abcManjeet Sehgal (23 February 2023). "Bhindranwale 2.0: Who is Khalistani separatist leader Amrit Pal Singh?". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023. The self-styled chief of the separatist Khalistani pressure group - 'Waris Punjab De', Amrit Pal Singh, is trying to establish himself as Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale 2.0.
^"'Bhindranwale 2.0': Radical Khalistan Sympathiser Amritpal Singh Active In Punjab". NDTV News. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Often escorted by armed supporters and donning a flowing white 'chola' and a navy-blue turban, radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh has been very active for some time in Punjab.
^"As Amritpal Singh's followers run amok, a brief history of the Khalistan movement". The Indian Express. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Openly pushing the separatist idea of Khalistan, Amritpal challenges the theory of nationalism, and draws parallels between the idea of Sikh sovereignty and Hindu Rashtra. He even dresses like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, calling him his "inspiration".
^ abVasudeva, Vikas (23 February 2023). "Pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh's supporters attack police in Punjab's Ajnala". The Hindu. ISSN0971-751X. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Armed with swords, guns and sharp weapons, scores of supporters of the self-styled Sikh preacher and pro-Khalistan (sovereign state for Sikhs) propagator Amritpal Singh on Thursday indulged in a scuffle with Punjab police personnel, injuring a few in Amritsar's Ajnala.