Bandh ineffective following detention, police pressure

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 30

A call of Punjab bandh given today by the Sikh organisations today for grant of pardon by Akal Takht to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh largely remained ineffective in the city. Many activists were detained by the police officials this morning and pressure was on the traders and market associations to keep their premises open.

The police personnel guided by SAD leaders had been keeping a close watch on the activities of the various Sikh organisations since last evening. While many of them were under house arrest, there were others who were intercepted on way to Gurdwara Central Town, where they had planned to get together before setting out on a march.

Even the gurdwara premises were covered by the police force this morning. About 12 activists, including Baljit Singh Ahluwalia from Sikh Talmel Committee, who had managed to reach gurdwara and were about to leave for a demonstration, were detained from there in a school bus hired by the police personnel led by ADCPs Paramjit Singh and Harpreet Singh Mander. They were taken to Police Station Division No 7 and left after 2 pm. President of Gurdwara Nauvi Patshahi, Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, Jagjit Singh Gaba was also made to follow to the police station in his own car.

Gurpreet Singh of Dal Khalsa, who too was among those picked from gurdwara, termed the act of the police as a human rights violation. “We have a right to hold protest in a peaceful manner but they did not allow us that today. The government has been using its entire police pressure against us and the traders to ensure that the bandh remained ineffective. The today’s act of the government and the police was highly condemnable”, he said. He added that there were about 50 persons from various Sikh organisations, who had been under preventive arrest by the police today.  Parminder Singh Dhingra, district president, AISSF, said, “I have just left from my place for gurdwara at 9 am when the cops detained me. They took me off to Police Station Division Number 5 and then further to Jandiala police post. I was allowed to go only after 5 pm. They snatched my mobile phone and switched it off. They handed it over to me only as I was allowed to leave”.

The effect of bandh was visible in few pockets of the market areas. The Scooter Market on Jail road remained completely shut. Atari Bazaar too remained largely closed. Rainak Bazaar was only partly shut. Rest most of the commercial areas were open today with normal movement of traffic on the roads. 

DCP Sandeep Kumar Sharma said, “Our job was to ensure that law and order does not get affected. We did not allow anyone to force shopkeepers to shut down his premises.”