Security up around Golden Temple on Bluestar anniversary eve

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 5

Even as Akal Takht high priest Giani Harpreet Singh and SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal and other Sikh organisations on Friday appealed to people to observe the anniversary of Operation Bluestar by holding paths in their houses in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the police have made elaborate security arrangements to thwart any untoward incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Jagmohan Singh said radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa had also withdrawn their call of holding a protest march to mark the occasion.

He said following this, devotees were visiting the Golden Temple in fewer numbers. He said, however, the police had been on alert and a heavy police deployment arrangement was in place.

He said the outer ring road of the walled city was already sealed in view of the lockdown restrictions. He said around 65 check-points were set up in the city. Earlier, metal detectors were installed to streamline the rush of devotees.

About the call given by the SAD (Amritsar) to reach Darbar Sahib, he said there was no such information received by the police but they were fully prepared for this. There was no plan to stop anyone from going to the Golden Temple.

Punjab Police commandoes were deputed around the Golden Temple while cops were deputed on the premises in plain clothes. Security on all the routes to the shrine had been strengthened and nobody was allowed to cross these check-points.

The SGPC has ordered the ban on the entry of mediapersons inside the Golden Temple premises.

Meanwhile, SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann on Friday accused the Punjab Police of raiding the houses of activists of the party in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala in order to stop them from travelling to the Golden Temple to pay obeisance and observe Operation Bluestar anniversary tomorrow. Mann said this act of the Punjab Government and the Punjab Police was highly condemnable.

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