President of the ‘Waris Punjab De‘  and Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh Wednesday started a month-long ‘Khalsa vaheer’, or Khalsa march, across Punjab, invoking an age-old tradition of spreading Sikhism. This march, though, includes supporters sporting automatic weapons and bullets.

This comes at a time when the central government has raised questions about the Khalistan ideologue’s “track record” in Dubai from when he was living there.

For the past several months Amritpal Singh  has been addressing gatherings at various places in Punjab, openly espousing the cause of Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs.

Answering media questions over Amritpal Singh’s sudden rise in Punjab, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri had Tuesday said there was a need to look into the reason behind his rise. “We all know that he is from Dubai but has anyone checked his track record there? Do find out,” said Puri.

Puri was talking to media persons in Chandigarh  “It should not happen that such a phenomenon is encouraged because of our own weakness. I am hopeful that this will be handled with utmost maturity,” he said, adding that the central government was keeping a close watch on the otherwise deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab, and that the matter was of “concern”. 

The Khalsa vaheer, during which Amritpal Singh  will address gatherings in over a dozen towns in Punjab, began with an Ardas at the Akal Takht­ — one of the five Takhts of the Sikhs — located within the premises of the Sri Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, and will end at the historical gurudwara at Anandpur Sahib in the last week of December.