M A I N   N E W S

Near-total bandh in Punjab
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 28
Punjab was in the grip of a saffron wave in support of former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana with a near-complete bandh having been organised to demand clemency for Rajoana on a call given by the Akal Takht and various panthic organisations.

Patiala witnessed tension and even violence after the district police failed to prevent youth, raising pro-Khalistan slogans, from moving into the Hindu-dominated inner city around the Arya Samaj chowk. This resulted in injuries to four persons besides a police commando.

In Jalandhar, members of a radical outfit assaulted a head constable with a sword. They also tried to damage a statue of Beant Singh at the BMC chowk but thwarted from doing so.

State Home Secretary D S Bains claimed that the bandh passed off peacefully except for sporadic incidents of violence.

Bains said the police had to resort to mild lathi charge at Jalandhar and also in Deena Nagar. Trains were stopped at eight places, including Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and Tarn Taran districts.

Sources said though the bandh was, by and large, peaceful, fear psychosis had been created at some places with the impression gaining ground that the administration, particularly the police, was giving kids glove treatment to radical groups engaged in the protest. At most places, police personnel remained mute spectators and were even reluctant to intervene when shopkeepers were forced to down shutters.

Meanwhile, Congress legislators accused the government of supporting the bandh. Banga legislator Tarlochan Singh Soondh said the people’s attention was being diverted from real issues.

Patiala legislator Brahm Mohindra said a legal matter was being turned into a religious one. Congress legislator Sukhpal Khaira said the government was empowered to commute any sentence, including the death penalty under Section 433 of the CrPC and there was no need to approach the Centre on this account.

SAD spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema derided Khaira’s statement as gimmickry, saying Khaira should realise that it was for the Centre to act in the matter as the incident pertained to the union territory that is controlled by it. He refuted allegations that the government had supported the bandh, saying it was spontaneous in nature.

The BJP broke its silence on the issue, with State BJP President Ashwani Sharma saying peace should be maintained at all costs. Senior leader Balramjidas Tandon was more vocal.