|
 |
| M A I
N N E W S |
Ludhiana bleeds
1 killed, 11 hurt
Anshu Seth
Tribune News Service
Supporters of Panthic organisations uproot a board announcing Ashutosh Maharaj’s religious discourse. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan |
Ludhiana, December 5
An activist of a Panthic organisation was killed and 11 others were injured when the police opened fire at Samrala Chowk to stop supporters of Sikh groups from marching towards the venue of a religious congregation to be addressed by Ashutosh Maharaj of the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan here today. To avoid further loss of human life, property, District Magistrate Vikas Garg clamped curfew in the entire city with immediate effect. The deceased has been identified as Darshan Singh (58). The injured include Kanwalpreet, Anup Singh, Manjinder Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Parminder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Amarjeet Singh, Bibi Surinder Kaur and Mangal Singh. Trouble reportedly broke out when hundreds of supporters of Panthic organisations gathered at Gurdwara Pheruman Shaheedan, near Dholewal Chowk, and resorted to violence following the arrest of Sikh leader Jarnail Singh of Tat Khalsa. Thereafter leaders of Panthic bodies, including Baba Ranjit Singh Dhadrian Wale, chief of Damdami Taksal Baba Harnam Singh and Bhai Mokam Singh and former Akal Takht Jathedar Sant Balbir Singh Daduwal, convened a meeting at the gurdwara for two hours. Later, they asked the activists to march towards the GLADA ground, the venue of the discourse. Forcing their way through the security line-up, the agitators allegedly damaged four police vehicles and attacked cops with swords and sticks. DSP Sukhdev Singh Virk, Inspector Jaswant Singh Mangat and SI Vikramjit Singh sustained minor injuries. Following the incident, the congregation scheduled for December 5 and 6 was called off for the second day. Troupes of paramilitary forces, Rapid Action Force and additional police force from Patiala were deployed on roads leading to the GLADA ground. A group of supporters of the Panthic organisations gathered outside the CMCH here after learning about the injured and allegedly torched two motorbikes. They also allegedly forced the closure of all commercial establishments around the hospital and burnt an effigy of BJP MLA Harish Bedi, who had reportedly refused to call off the congregation. Meanwhile, Baba Harnam Singh, chief of Damdami Taksal, Chowk Mehta, on behalf of Panthic organisations has given a bandh call for December 7. He said Darshan Singh’s body would not be cremated till the government registered a case against Ashutosh Maharaj and BJP MLA Harish Bedi. Sikh bodies have been called to observe it as “Black day”. All commercial establishments, including industry, public offices and educational institutes, will remain close on that day. However, buses, trains and ambulance services will not be disrupted. The Punjab government has also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and BJP Cabinet Minister Manoranjan Kalia called upon people of the state to maintain peace.
News Analysis
Ludhiana violence puts Badal govt on back foot
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 5
With winter session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha just two days away, imposition of curfew after unconnected incidents of violence and arson in certain pockets of Ludhiana during the past 48 hours have put the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janta Party (SAD-BJP) government on the back foot.Ludhiana violence, though for two separate and unrelated reasons, has shaken the state leaving both the political and administrative machinery bewildered at turn of events. Though the SAD-BJP government claimed that its timely action and intervention have saved the day at least for today in averting major violence, the Congress has described the developments of the past two days as “total failure of the government”. It all started on Thursday night over a minor issue when the complaint of a migrant labourer was allegedly “overlooked” by the Station House Officer of a Police Station leading to protests, including damage of private and public vehicles besides disruption of road and rail traffic. On Friday, violence spilled over to roads in the jurisdiction of five police stations where the authorities were left with no choice but to impose curfew.Today, it was for altogether different reasons. Some Sikh organisations had warned the district administration in allowing Dera Divya Jyoti of Ashutosh from holding its two-day samagam in Ludhiana. The administration, however, refused to withdraw the permission leading to armed protests by members of these Sikh organisations who later clashed with the police at a distance from the venue of the samagam. While the first day proceedings of the samagam continued undisrupted, the district administration in view of the violence in some parts of the city, cancelled permission for the second-day of the samagam besides imposing curfew in the city as a preventive and precautionary measure. It was during today’s clashes that police resorted to firing and bursting of tear gas shells that led to one death. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal not only held meetings with senior officials throughout the day but also had a long sitting with his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The SAD-BJP government has been under fire from a section of Sikh organisations for open firing on them than against the migrants who resorted to arson and violence and held three-fourths of the city to ransom yesterday. They also hold the government responsible for today’s clashes on the plea that why a controversial Dera head be allowed to hold a “samagam” in the city in spite of their forewarnings. The government sources, however, maintained that not only men of Ashutosh were allowed to hold their congregation; even Sikh organisations were permitted to hold their peaceful protest. However, these sources maintain, that the government was committed not to allow any one to disturb peace or communal harmony of the state at any cost. It acted firmly against those who tried to resort to violence and damage public or private property. Ashwani Sekhri, Chief Spokesman of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee said the incidents of past two days reflected total collapse of the law and order machinery in the state. “We strongly condemn the violence and appeal to people of state to exercise self restraint and maintain peace and communal harmony at all costs. Punjab has already paid a heavy price for getting back its peace.” Meanwhile, Harcharan Bains, Media Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister, said the state government was working on a three-pronged strategy, including a short-term strong and even handed response to situations threatening law and order in the state. In such cases, the state is put on alert and the police asked to keep a vigil on inter-district movement of troublemakers or miscreants. Even those who whip up passions or communal feelings would be under surveillance. Movements of vehicles and carrying passengers beyond their sanctioned capacity would also be enforced.The medium term action would include activating religious, social and political mechanism to preempt communal polarisation while the third and final action would be to look at and remove causes that allow space to opportunists to act as spokespersons of one or the other community.
|
