New Delhi: Mobile internet services have been restricted in several districts of Punjab as the state police launched action against Khalistani sympathiser ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh and his aides, news agency ANI reported. According to the ANI report, the mobile internet services will remain suspended till Sunday.
“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 shall be suspended from 18th March (12:00 hours) to 19th March (12:00 hours) in the interest of public safety,” a statement issued by the Department of Home Affairs and Justice, Punjab, said.
According to reports, police arrested six of his aides while Amritpal Singh managed to flee. Police are still searching for him.
As the internet services was suspended, the Punjab Police urged people to maintain peace and harmony and not to spread fake news, panic or hate speech. "Punjab Police is working to maintain law and order," the Punjab Police tweeted.
It is to be noted that radical Sikh leader and Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh has been active in Punjab over the past few weeks as his supporters earlier last month clashed with the police at the Ajnala police station on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of one of the aides of Amritpal Singh.
On Saturday, six aides of Amritpal were reportedly detained in Jalandhar, as per news agency PTI. Some of the supporters of the 'Waris Punjab De' chief shared some videos on social media alleging that police personnel were chasing them. A video also showed Amritpal Singh sitting in a vehicle and one of his aides could be heard saying police were after 'Bhai saab' (Amritpal), PTI reported.