Punjab state on high alert as separatist preacher remains on the run

The state of Punjab in India remains on high alert as police continue their hunt for Amritpal Singh, a separatist leader who supports the Khalistan movement for a separate Sikh homeland.

The 30-year-old has been on the run since Saturday and over the weekend his supporters staged protests in the majority Sikh state.

The Punjab Police India Twitter account states that 112 people have been arrested so far.

They also said a vehicle allegedly used by Singh and abandoned during a police chase in a rural area of Jalandhar had been seized.

The search for Singh is having a widespread impact on the whole state with the Times of India and CNN reporting that authorities have blocked internet access for a third day.

Police reportedly justified the shutdown by saying it was to keep the peace and prevent the spread of fake news.

The Khalistan movement is banned in India, where officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat.

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But the movement still has some support in the state, as well as beyond, in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom which are home to a sizeable Sikh diaspora.

The crackdown comes after Singh’s supporters stormed a police station in February, demanding the release of an aide who had been arrested.

Several police officers were injured and police vehicles were damaged.

On Sunday a man was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder after a crowd incident saw windows smashed at the Indian High Commission in London.

Footage posted on social media showed a man detach the Indian flag from the first-floor balcony of the building while a crowd of people below waving bright yellow “Khalistan” banners appeared to encourage him.

Amritpal Singh is the 30-year-old leader of the organisation Waris Punjab De (Heirs of Punjab).

Not much is known about his early life but he moved to Dubai in 2012 to work for his family’s transport business.

He came back to India in 2022 to take over leadership of the group from the actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu who died in a car accident.

Before his death Sidhu is believed to have led a group of farmers to storm the Red Fort in Delhi on the Republic Day of 2022. He was arrested for the action and spent a few months in prison.

Once he was back in Punjab, Singh changed his appearance and started wearing a blue turban, traditional robes and has a long, unshorn beard.

Singh has been accused of using hate speech and his armed supporters have been accused of violence.

He has been outspoken about his support for the cause of Khalistan, the separatist movement calling for a separate homeland/country for people of Sikh faith. As a result of this, his Twitter account was suspended by authorities who have also been watching his activities carefully.

They are believed to be supporters of the Sikh separatist movement but UK foreign office minister Tariq Ahmad said he was “appalled” by the incident.

“This is a completely unacceptable action against the integrity of the Mission and its staff,” he wrote on Twitter. “The UK government will always take the security of the Indian High Commission seriously.”

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