Following Amritpal Singh's surrender and arrest on April 23, 2023, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann countered Opposition parties' allegations of delay in the action.
In a video message, Mann said that if Amritpal had been arrested on March 18, then "bullets would have been fired", but the government did not want bloodshed.
The CM added that during violence by Amritpal's followers in Ajnala, the authorities could have taken strict action, but chose to exercise restraint.