Phagwara, June 6
The police today lathicharged activists of the SAD (A) and the Sikh Students Federation (Mehta group) near Gurdwara Akalian on the Phagwara-Banga road and arrested six SAD (A) leaders.
However, the local DSP, Mr Jaspal Singh, denied that the police resorted to a lathicharge.
The police foiled a bid of protesters to burn an effigy of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
Those arrested are Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji, central working committee member of the SAD (A), Mr Sukhwinder Singh Khalsa, vice-president, Mr Gurjant Singh Kattu, general secretary of the youth wing of the party, Mr Satnam Singh Sandhu, general secretary of its kisan wing, Mr Resham Singh, circle president of the party, and Mr Gurcharan Singh, a senior leader.
The activists performed ardas in the Old Sabzi Mandi Banga Road gurdwara before starting a protest march against a function of the Shiv Sena at Hanuman Garhi on the GT Road held to pay tributes to security personnel who were killed during Operation Bluestar.
Meanwhile, Jathedar Rajinder Singh Fauji and Mr Sukhwinder Singh Khalsa alleged police high-handedness against protesters, including women. They asserted that they were proceeding peacefully and stopped the moment the police asked them do so.
The DSP said the protesters were trying to jeopardise peace and create communal tension in the town. The protesters even attempted to rough up policemen.
SAD (A) President and former MP Simranjit Singh Mann reached the town and demanded a probe into the incident and action against the local DSP for lathicharging the protesters.
Mr Mann said his party would apprise the National Human Rights Commission of the incident.
