Leftist bodies lay a siege to police station

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 3

A day after activists of a right wing group were accused of ransacking the Jan Chetna book store run by Leftist organisation Naujawan Bharat Sabha at Punjabi Bhawan here and manhandling the volunteers at the store, several Leftist organisations today laid a siege to the Division No. 5 police station and demanded action against the assailants.

Sources said 21-year-old Shivani had been visiting the store to read literature pertaining to Shaheed Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters. The literature had influenced her so much that she had left her home. Her parents, along with right wing people, yesterday reached the store and complained that their daughter had left home because the Jan Chetna volunteers were inculcating revolutionary ideology in her, thus making her to leave her home.

Today’s protest was led by Lakhwinder, president of the Textile Hosiery Kamgar Union. Members of several other unions took part in the protest. He alleged that the Jan Chetna store was selling revolutionary, democratic and freedom struggle literature which was already available in the market. Yesterday, several members of the right wing group barged into the store and manhandled the volunteers, including him, Satbir and a woman, Binny. “Instead of taking action against the right wing members, we were rounded up by the police and kept at the police station for more than two hours.  We have been assured by the ACP-West that an inquiry into the case has been marked. If no action is taken by the police within 24 hours, we will again gherao the police station,” he added.

Yesterday, the police had also sealed the store. However, they returned the keys to the authorities today, he added.

The chief spokesperson  for right wing organisation Shri Hindu Takht, Rohit Sahni, said they were approached by the girl’s parents with a complaint that the Jan Chetna store was providing revolutionary literature to her daughter due to which she wanted to leave home. ”We immediately went to the store along with the parents. The police also seized the banned revolutionary literature, forcing revolutionary thoughts on the youth and making them anti-Hindu. Our complaint has been sent to the DA (Legal) by the police. An FIR under section 295-A of the IPC could be registered against the Jan Chetna store,” he added. 

He also alleged that the case of Shivani was not an isolated one and there could be several other youngsters who were being forced by Jan Chetna to adopt revolutionary ideology and leave home.

The ACP-West, Varinderjit Singh, said both parties had submitted their respective complaints and an inquiry into both complaints would be conducted by the SHO.