Punjab extends internet suspension till Tuesday as hunt on for Amritpal Singh

Mobile internet and SMS services will remain suspended in Punjab till Tuesday (March 21) afternoon, the state government said on Monday as the hunt for the Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh continued for the third day.

In its latest order, the Department of Home Affairs and Justice said all mobile internet services, all SMS services (except banking and mobile recharge), and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except the voice call, will remain suspended till March 21 (12:00 hours). 

The state authorities had on Saturday suspended the internet and SMS services in the state till Sunday noon. Later, the curbs were extended till Monday noon. 

The self-styled radical preacher has been on the run since the Punjab Police launched a massive crackdown on Saturday. The crackdown came weeks after Singh and his supporters barged into the Ajnala police station near Amritsar, extracting an assurance that an arrested aide of Singh would be released.

Over 50 police vehicles chased the Khalistani leader and his aides in an attempt to arrest them on Saturday morning after the Punjab Police traced Singh's latest location near Shahkot.

Some supporters of 'Waris Punjab De' chief shared some videos on social media claiming that policemen were chasing them. A video also showed Amritpal sitting in a vehicle and one of his aides could be heard saying policemen were after 'Bhai saab' (Amritpal).

Meanwhile, a few Khalistani supporters on Sunday brought down the Indian flag flying atop the Indian High Commission in London, sloganeering with flags and posters of separatist leader Amritpal Singh.

Following the incident, the UK High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, tweeted his condemnation of the events. He wrote: “I condemn the disgraceful acts today against the people and premises of the Indian High commission - totally unacceptable.”

Images of shattered windows and men climbing the India House building were circulating on social media and videos from the scene show an Indian official grabbing the flag from a protester through the first-floor window of the mission.

Also Read: Khalistanis pull down tricolour outside Indian High Commission in UK; MEA summons UK envoy

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