Patiala, October 19
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) activists who had gathered at the Judicial Complex here to wave black flags at the SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur, were bashed up and chased away by SAD (Badal) workers today. The police, however, remained a mute spectator to the entire proceedings.
Five SAD (Amritsar) workers, including two women, were injured in the free-for-all which lasted for around 15 to 20 minutes. During this period, turbans of more than a dozen persons went flying in all directions and activists of both parties hurled stones and bricks at each other. Some of these bricks also found their way into the chambers of lawyers in the complex.
The trouble started after Bibi Jagir Kaur was able to enter the court complex through a back entry and was whisked upstairs. Following this SAD(A) activists started raising slogans against her. On this SGPC member Joginder Singh Panjrath and others started raising slogans in favour of Bibi Jagir Kaur. The SAD (Badal) activists soon gathered there and SGPC employees from the local Dukhniwaran Gurdwara alongwith the Manager of the gurdwara, also joined them.
Following this, one SAD activist pushed a woman activist of SAD(A) who was raising slogans against the SGPC President. This infuriated the Mann dal activists and it led to a free-for-all. SAD activists, however, soon gained an upper hand because they were more in number.
Many of them even snatched the placards which were being displayed by SAD(A) activists and beat them up with the same. Even women activists of the SAD(A) were not spared with SAD women activists leading the charge against them.
Leaders of the black-flag demonstration, including SAD(A) district rural president Balkar Singh Bhullar, district youth wing president Santokh Singh Mavi and its Fatehgarh Sahib office secretary Ranjit Singh Cheema were singled out for ‘special treatment’. All of them were beaten up thoroughly after being thrown on the ground.
Meanwhile, Bibi Jagir Kaur when questioned on the issue, said the judiciary had been “attacked” and not her. She claimed the incident was part of a larger conspiracy to “finish her”.
