Amritpal Singh Supporters Breach Barricades, Clash With Police During Chandigarh March

July 29, 2026

Chandigarh: Supporters of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh clashed with the Chandigarh Police on Tuesday after they breached barricades while marching from Mohali towards the Punjab Chief Minister’s official residence in Chandigarh. Police used water cannons to stop the protesters, but demonstrators pushed aside the barricades and allegedly turned the water cannon nozzles away before entering the city.

The protest, organised by supporters of Amritpal Singh and Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), was held to demand the release of the jailed MP and other Sikh prisoners. The demonstration also led to traffic disruptions on key routes connecting Mohali and Chandigarh.

Barricades Breached as Police Use Water Cannons

The Chandigarh Police had erected multiple barricades near the Chandigarh-Mohali border to prevent protesters from entering the city. However, demonstrators removed the barricades and advanced despite police resistance.

Police deployed water cannons to disperse the crowd, but some protesters allegedly redirected the nozzles away from the gathering. During the confrontation, the turbans of several protesters reportedly came off amid the jostling.

Following the breach, the protesters proceeded towards Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s official residence in Sector 2, where they planned to stage a protest.

Authorities tightened security across the area, while traffic movement remained affected on the road from Sector 45 Gaushala to Mohali Phase 8, causing inconvenience to commuters and schoolchildren.

Protesters Demand Release of Amritpal Singh

Party leader and MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali said the protest was peaceful and aimed solely at seeking the release of Amritpal Singh.

“We have come here to stage a peaceful protest, not to indulge in vandalism. Amritpal Singh is an elected representative of the people, but his imprisonment is preventing him from performing his constitutional responsibilities as a Member of Parliament,” Ayali said.

Amritpal Singh’s counsel, Iman Singh Khara, claimed that although the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) are no longer applicable, the MP continues to remain lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam in connection with the Ajnala police station attack case and several other criminal cases.

Who Is Amritpal Singh?

Amritpal Singh won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib constituency as an Independent candidate while lodged in Dibrugarh Jail. He defeated Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira by nearly 1.97 lakh votes.

He was arrested in April 2023 in connection with the Ajnala police station incident, after which the NSA was invoked against him.

His organisation, Waris Punjab De, has since entered electoral politics under the banner of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) and has declared Amritpal Singh as its chief ministerial face for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.

The party alleges that legal proceedings are being prolonged to prevent the MP from carrying out his parliamentary responsibilities, while authorities maintain that he remains in judicial custody in connection with multiple criminal cases.