Operation Bluestar anniversary: Dog squad, police vehicles with CCTVs stationed near Golden Temple

With several Sikh organisations opposing officiating Akal Takht Jathedar’s address to the community from the Sikh’s temporal seat on the occasion of the 41st Operation Bluestar anniversary on June 6, the Punjab Police have been put on alert.

Senior police officials have been keeping a close watch on the developments in this connection. Police vehicles with CCTV cameras atop has been stationed outside the Golden Temple while the dog squad has also been pressed into service.

On Monday, cops searched the area around Darbar Sahib while policemen in civvies were seen deputed inside the shrine to keep an eye on every movement in the temple, it is learnt.

“We have been on alert and are taking all the precautions and preventive measures to thwart any untoward incident during the Operation Bluestar anniversary,” said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar while talking to The Tribune.

Damdami Taksal (Mehta) chief Harnam Singh Dhuma on Saturday asked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to not allow officiating Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj from addressing the Sikh community from Akal Takht. He had threatened to protest and oppose him, adding that Gargaj was not an accepted Jathedar. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami would be holding a meeting with him on Monday.

“We have been keeping a close watch on all developments and appropriate measures would be taken to thwart any law and order problem arising from the current situation,” said a senior police official.

Around 6,000 cops would be arriving in the city from Punjab Armed Police and adjoining police districts, including gazetted officials, for the security in the city in the coming days, especially on June 6, while hundreds of Sikhs from various organisations would attend the programme at Akal Takht to mark the occasion.