The Punjab Government has suspended mobile internet as a manhunt has been launched to nab “fugitive” Amritpal Singh, the Waris Punjab De leader. There are also rumours he has been caught and put behind bars in far away Assam. Of late, Khalistanis have stepped up attacks on Indian establishments in Australia, Canada, UK and the US.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 20: Following the crackdown on the supporters of separatist leader Amritpal Singh, who is said to be on the run for the third day, by security forces in the State of Punjab in India, Khalistanis attacked the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Sunday.

They barged into the Consulate, broke doors and raised Khalistani slogans after Indian officials removed Khalistani flags they had put up on the consulate building. The attack came hours after the separatists pulled down the Indian flag at the High Commission in London.

Social media clips show the Khalistan supporters vandalising the consulate building in San Francisco. The walls were painted graffiti with messages like “#Free Amrit Pal”.

The Punjab Government has suspended mobile internet and SMS till Tuesday as the police is searching for ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh. A massive manhunt has been launched to nab him. The police have declared him a “fugitive”. They had in fact chased his car in Jalandhar on Saturday but he escaped. However, there are rumours that he has already been arrested and put behind bars in far away Assam. The crackdown began last weekend as the Waris Punjab De was launching a statewide Khalsa campaign as well as raising an Anandpur Khalsa Force (AKF). The police also conducted flag marches across the State. ‘Waris Punjab De’ is a parallel outfit of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).

"All mobile internet services, all SMS services (except banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except the voice call, in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab suspended till March 21 (12:00 hours) in the interest of public safety," the department of Home Affairs and Justice, Government of Punjab said in a statement on Monday.

The mobile services were suspended on Saturday and was again extended on Sunday. A total of 112 arrests have been made in the case so far. Four of Amritpal aides have been lodged in the Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam.

The driver of Amritpal Singh has surrendered before the police.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah early this month on the strategy to arrest the Khalistan leader.

Khalistan flag at Indian mission in London

Following the arrests of pro-Khalistanis in Punjab, Amritpal supporters pulled down the Indian national flag and tried to put up Khalistani flag at the High Commission in London. New Delhi had called the British envoy and coveyed its concern over the incident.

Meanwhile, British Sikh Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi expressed his concern over the arrests of Khalistanis. He tweeted, “Very worrying reports coming from #India, of the imposition of an internet blackout in the #Punjab state, with mass arrests and restrictions on gatherings ... Praying that the tense situation is soon resolved and that human rights of all are respected.”

Indian embassies and other establishments in the UK, US, Australia and Canada have come under attack by Khalistan supporters in recent times.

The fresh wave of Khalistani disturbances in Punjab began last month when Amritpal Singh's supporters forcibly entered the police station in Ajnala near Amritsar demanding the release of their leader's close aide.

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