Ludhiana, July 9
Workers of the Shiromani
Akali Dal (Amritsar) (SAD-A), including district president Anup Singh Sandhu and vice-president Harjab Singh Daad
were roughed up by activists of the Shiromani Akali Dal-Badal (SAD-B) outside the Circuit House here today.
SAD-B workers were out to ransack the nearby office of the SAD(A). The SAD(A) claimed that 10 of its activists were injured in the scuffle.
Incident took place outside the Circuit House where senior Akali and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Mr Arun Jaitley and Mr Parkash Singh Badal, held a meeting on seat-sharing for the Assembly elections.
The SAD(A) workers led by
district president Sandhu, carrying black flags wanted to protest against Mr Jaitley, who they alleged was trying to interfere
in the functioning of Akal Takht Sahib.
The SAD(A) general secretary said the protest was organised against Mr Jaitley’s reported demand that Akal Takht withdraw the hukamnama of boycott pronounced in 2004 against the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an
outfit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The SAD(B) workers, who had information of the protest, had gathered outside the venue since morning. Hundreds of Akali workers appeared to be waiting in and outside the Circuit House complex for SAD(A) protesters.
As they (SAD(A) workers)
started approaching the Circuit House from their party’s office, which is nearby, carrying black flags and shouting slogans,
SAD-B workers attacked them with lathis. The SAD(A) workers were outnumbered by the Badal supporters. Most of them fled, some tried to put up resistance also. In the scuffle turbans of some of the SAD(A) were
blown off. Some Badal supporters carried these turbans displaying these to photographers as symbol of victory.
District vice-president of the SAD(A) Harjab Singh Daad snatched his turban from SAD-B workers. He was beaten up. However, he was saved by Deputy Superintendent of Police R.K. Bakshi and his men.
Secretary and spokesman of
the SAD-B, Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema condemned the SAD(A) for its “attack” on his party workers. He pointed out, everybody had the right in a democracy
to organise programme of his party. “Why did they (SAD-A) activists try to attack and disturb our programme?”, he asked, adding that they were doing
it at the behest of the Congress.
SAD(A) general secretary Prof Jagmohan Singh was
furious at the incident. He said, the SAD(B) would get a prompt reply. “They have sparked a
civil war among the Sikhs and they (the SAD-B) should be squarely responsible for it”, he warned. He claimed the SAD(A) activists were only trying to lodge symbolic and peaceful protest against Mr Jaitley.
“However, our workers were attacked and beaten up by SAD-B activists”, he alleged. The SAD(A) has called a Sikh congregation on July 21 at Amritsar.
