Indian police step up hunt for Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh

Guns and ammunition seized and security tightened across Punjab state

Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh (C) was on Monday still on the run after escaping police on Saturday. AFP

Indian police were searching for a Sikh preacher for a third day on Monday after launching a statewide crackdown on his group, which is blamed for stirring anti-government sentiment in northern Punjab state.

Amritpal Singh, 30, is the leader of Waris Punjab De, translated loosely as Sons of Punjab, an allegedly radical organisation founded by the actor Deep Sidhu "to protect the rights of Punjab and raise social issues" in the north of the state. Sidhu died in February last year.

Authorities in Punjab have struggled for decades with a Sikh separatist movement, involving a minority religious community seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs called Khalistan.

Mr Singh was travelling in an SUV to launch a statewide campaign in Jalandhar late on Saturday when he was chased by police but managed to escape after abandoning his car.

Police, however, arrested at least 112 of his supporters, while Mr Singh’s uncle and his driver surrendered on Monday.

The force has also seized eight rifles, one revolver and a hoard of ammunition from abandoned vehicles, registering a case against Mr Singh under the Arms Act, a senior police officer said.

About 20 bulletproof jackets were also reportedly recovered from Mr Singh's house.

Since taking charge of the organisation in September, Mr Singh has been accused of spreading disharmony, attempted murder, attacks on police and obstructing the work of public servants.

Security has been tightened throughout the state, with forces conducting checks on vehicles on the roads. Internet and SMS services have been suspended and the neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have been placed on high alert.

Mr Singh’s ancestral village Jallu Kheda in Amritsar district has allegedly been turned into a fortress and authorities have prohibited gatherings of more than four people in various districts to avoid protests and violence.

He is also accused of using a drug rehabilitation centre and a Gurdwara (Sikh temple) for stockpiling weapons and preparing youths to carry out suicide attacks.

Security agencies have compiled a dossier that claims he has ties with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and believe the spy agency has told him to encourage Sikh youth and use violence to promote the Khalistan secessionist movement.

The manhunt triggered protests outside the Indian High Commission in London on Sunday, where Khalistan supporters pulled down the Indian national flag.

New Delhi on Sunday summoned British deputy high commissioner Christina Scott and demanded an explanation after videos on social media surfaced of the Khalistan sympathisers protesting outside the Indian High Commission in the British capital.

“The senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi was summoned late evening today to convey India’s strong protest at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London earlier in the day,” the Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

“An explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security that allowed these elements to enter the High Commission premises."

Khalistan movement's violent legacy

Mr Singh worked for his uncle's haulage business before he returned to India last year and took charge of the organisation that espouses Khalistan ideology.

He has became a public figure in the past six months, transitioning from a clean-shaven transport administrator to a bearded preacher who wears traditional robes, a turban and dresses in the style of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a militant Sikh commander in the 1980s.

Mr Bhindranwale was killed after he, along with hundreds of heavily armed Sikh militants, were holed up inside the Golden Temple — the most sacred site in Sikhism — after the Indian Army raided the premises in 1984 as part of Operation Blue Star.

Fierce fighting followed days of artillery shelling by the Indian Army, leading to severe damage to the shrine.

Mr Singh has claimed to be a follower of Mr Bhindranwale, who still remains an influential figure for many Sikh separatists.

He has made controversial speeches in the past few months including one in which he said Home Minister Amit Shah would face a similar fate to former prime minister Indira Gandhi if atrocities against Sikhs are not controlled.

Ms Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star.

Mr Singh's supporters reportedly vandalised two Sikh temples in December. In February, separatists brandishing swords and guns broke through barricades and barged into a police station where they clashed with officers in a bid to force the release of one of his aides.