Protest March Led by Tarsem Singh
Members of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De organized a massive protest march in Tarn Taran on July 8, 2026, against the removal of the film Satluj from the OTT platform Zee5. The film is based on the life and struggle of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist. The march was led by Tarsem Singh, father of Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh. Following the march, a memorandum addressed to the Governor of Punjab was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner.
Senior Leaders Present at Protest
Among the senior leaders present were MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali (Dakha Constituency), Amarjit Singh Vannchhiri, Harbhajan Singh Tur, Advocate Karamvir Singh, Sukhdev Singh Kadian, Pragat Singh Mianwind, Jugraj Singh Mehta, and Shamsher Singh Padhri. The protest highlighted widespread concern over the removal of the film.
Condemnation of Removal
Addressing the gathering, Tarsem Singh stated that Khalra sacrificed his life while defending human rights and bringing the truth before the world. He said that the film based on Khalra’s life had already faced prolonged delays before its release, and removing it from Zee5 merely two days after its release was highly condemnable and contrary to democratic values. He further stated that such actions created the impression that attempts were being made to prevent the public from learning about sensitive historical issues and human rights concerns relating to the Sikh community. He emphasized that in a democracy, historical truth should be allowed to reach the people rather than being suppressed.
Demands for Restoration and Explanation
The party leaders demanded the immediate restoration of Satluj on the OTT platform, a public explanation regarding the reasons behind its removal, and urged the authorities to refrain from restricting films dealing with human rights issues in the future. The protest underscores ongoing tensions surrounding the portrayal of Sikh history and human rights in media.
