M A I N   N E W S

Mann held for sedition
Police swoops down on party leaders
Tribune Reporters

Sangrur, June 14
Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), was today arrested on charges of sedition from the Nankana Sahib chowk, here. Later, he was taken to a local marriage palace on the Sangrur-Patiala road where he addressed mediapersons.

The party general secretary, Mr Gursewak Singh Jawaharke, was arrested from his village in Mansa while the party senior vice-president, Bhai Dhyan Singh Mand, escaped arrest in Ferozepore.

After talking to mediapersons, Mr Mann sat in his car. Mr Kuldip Sharma, DSP of Sangrur, and Mr Hardeep Singh, SHO of Sangrur, accompanied him in the car. Activists of his party raised slogans against the Punjab Government and gathered around the car, protesting against his arrest. However, the car moved towards Patiala and Mr Mann’s supporters followed them.

Mr Harinder Singh Chahal, SSP of Sangrur, over the phone, said Mr Mann had been arrested from Ropar in connection with a case registered against him at Anandpur Sahib. He said the Sangrur police had helped the Ropar police in arresting Mr Mann.

A case was registered against Mr Mann for allegedly “making inflammatory” speeches and raising “pro-Khalistan” slogans at his party’s conference in Anandpur Sahib on June 4.

Addressing the mediapersons, Mr Mann said he had been arrested on a sedition charge for demanding “Khalistan”. The government, in that case, should also arrest all those Sikh leaders, including Capt Amarinder Singh, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala and Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi, who had signed the “Amritsar Declaration” in 1994, demanding “Khalistan” for Sikhs. Other Sikh leaders, including Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Talwandi, should also be arrested for handing over a memorandum containing the demand for an independent sovereign state for Sikhs, to Mr Boutros-Boutros Ghali, the then UN Secretary-General in 1992 in New Delhi, he added.

Mr Mann said Mahatma Gandhi and Pt Jawaharlal Nehru had promised the Sikhs that they would be given an independent region, where they would enjoy freedom. In view of that promise, he was now demanding a buffer state between Pakistan and India for the Sikhs. He admitted that as a police officer, he had good relations with Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, adding that every SSP had to behave in a good manner with everyone.

Mr Mann said his party would hold a demonstration at Halwara Air Force base on June 26 to condemn the joint Indo-France air exercises at Istrus in France from June 15 to 30 because the racist policy of the French Government was not allowing Sikhs to wear turbans in schools there. He also condemned the Left parties, saying that they had played an “evil role by referring to Sikhs as terrorists and extremists”.

Mr Mann said the party would decide on holding an agitation in a peaceful and democratic manner.

Bathinda: The general secretary of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), Mr Gursewak Singh Jawaharke, was sent to Central Jail here after conducting his medical examination at the Civil Hospital in Talwandi Sabo. Jawaharke was arrested on a charge of sedition from his village in Mansa early today.

The Akali (Amritsar) leader was earlier produced in the court of Mr Hari Singh Grewal in Talwandi Sabo who sent him in judicial custody till June 28.

The chief of the party’s youth wing, Mr Barinder Singh Mann, said party workers were present in large numbers when Jawaharke was produced in the court. He said they burnt the “joint effigy” of the Congress and Mr Badal, as his party considered them to be “one”.

He said the police also raided the houses of senior party leaders. He alleged that the Congress and Mr Badal had joined hands and were spoiling the atmosphere of the state. He alleged that Mr Badal and the SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, had persuaded the state government to register false cases against his party leaders. He said the Bibi never took up issues like punishing those responsible for the 1984 riots, the turban issue in France and the ‘kirpan’ issue in Spain, with the Union Home Minister.

Baffled by the success of the party’s conferences, Mr Badal and Bibi Jagir Kaur wanted to implicate the party leaders in false cases, he alleged.

Mr Barinder Mann accused Mr Badal of trying to tarnish Mr Simranjit Singh Mann’s image among Sikhs. He said in a situation like this, Mr Badal should merge his party with the Congress. He claimed that some party leaders were booked on the basis of an SGPC employee’s statement in Anandpur Sahib, which corroborated Bibi Jagir Kaur’s hand in the “conspiracy”.

The party’s SGPC member, Mr Harcharan Singh Burjhari, said everybody had the freedom of expression in the country, but the state government was “stifling their rights” in Punjab.

Remanded in judicial custody till June 20
Kiran Deep
Tribune News Service

Anandpur Sahib, June 14
Under heavy protest from the party workers, the Akali Dal (Amritsar) president, Mr Shimranjit Singh Mann, was today remanded in judicial custody till June 20 by the Sub-divisional Magistrate of Anandpur Sahib, Mr R.K. Kaundal.

Mr Mann was produced in the court under heavy security at about 6 pm in connection with a case registered against him at Anandpur Sahib police station, for allegedly making “anti-national” speeches during the Ghalughara function held at Damdami Taksal on June 4 here. The police has registered a case against Mr Mann and three others under various Sections, including 124-A, 153-A, 148 and 491 of the IPC, on June 8.

Mr Mann was later taken for a medical examination at the Civil Hospital, Anandpur Sahib. The senior doctors, taking into consideration that Mr Mann was a heart patient, admitted him in the special ward-3.

Mr Mann’s counsel appealed to the court that he was a heart patient and tired due to the long journey from Sangrur since morning. Therefore, Mann should be provided medical aid and also be allowed to stay in the guest house.

Mr Kaundal, after hearing the plea, said Mr Mann would be first examined at the Civil Hospital by senior doctors and thereafter provided facilities as per the jail manual. The Magistrate has also directed the police to file a reply tomorrow on the bail application moved by Mr Mann.