In Dinanagar, clash between rival AAP groups averted

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, August 28

The police today averted a clash at two places in the district between pro and anti-Kejriwal supporters.

In Dinanagar, Amandeep Singh Gill, a loyalist of former state AAP convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and AAP district zonal incharge, led a march of 200 supporters to the venue where Kejriwal’s followers, including former minister Balbir Singh Baath, AAP Gurdaspur observer Ankush Narang and party candidate from Fatehgarh Churian Gurvinder Singh Shampura, were holding a meeting.

A potentially volatile situation was defused after SSP Jasdeep Singh sent a police team to ensure that both groups remained separated by nearly 100 meters. In Dera Baba Nanak, where a similar meeting was held today, the Batala Police provided a heavy security cover at the venue to avoid any untoward incident.

Gurvinder Shampura is scheduled to organise a rally to be addressed by Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann at Kala Afghana village in Fatehgarh Churian on September 4. However, Deputy Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said permission would be given only after getting a report from the police over the ongoing situation. Batala SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon said the police were awaiting more inputs before a final decision was taken.

Meanwhile, a groundswell of support is being witnessed in favour of Chhotepur in the district which forms a part of the Gurdaspur parliamentary seat. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Chhotepur managed to garner a massive 1.74 lakh votes. Earlier in the 2012 assembly elections, he contested from the Qadian seat, and bagged 17,000 votes.