Operation Blue Star anniversary passes off peacefully in industrial city

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 6

The anniversary of Operation Blue Star, ‘Ghallughara’, passed off peacefully in the city today.

The police preparedness due to the lockdown and presence of a huge police force outside religious places turned out to be an added advantage.

Last year, tension erupted in the old city area outside Sangla Wala Shivalaya temple and near the Kalgidhar gurdwara. Sikh activists allegedly tore a poster of Shiv Sena that featured pictures of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former CM Beant Singh, former DGP KPS Gill and former Army General AS Vaidya.

After the posters were tore down, Hindu activists had gathered at Chaura Bazaar and raised anti-Khalistan slogans. Activists in large numbers had later gathered outside Sangla Wala Shivalaya. The situation became tense after Sikh activists also reached the spot.

However, this year, the police had set up 60 special nakas, mostly in the old city area. As many as 24 patrolling parties were also deployed. The police had also taken several religious heads of Sikhs and Hindu organisations under confidence so that no one could make any remarks or install any hoarding to instill violence.

Leaders detained in their houses

Since many Hindu leaders used to perform a havan to pay tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, policemen and Army jawans who laid their lives during the operation, the police today detained many of them in their houses, including Ashok Thaper, national president of Shaheed Sukhdev Thaper Brigade Anti-Terrorist Front, Hindu leaders Rajiv Tandon, Praveen Dang, Arvind Walia. The police were deployed outside their houses from early morning and they were not allowed to hold any havan. Ashok said the police had also sealed a national memorial at the Daresi ground where a havan was to be performed. Thapar alleged that the police meted out step-motherly treatment to them.

Akhil Chaudhary, DCP Headquarters and Security, said enough security arrangements were made across the city.

YAD leader rounded up for distributing langar

Youth Akali Dal district president Gurdeep Singh Gosha was detained by the police when he was distributing langar. Gosha said he was first taken to a police station and later, he was put under house arrest. He said was doing ‘langar sewa’ from the past 75 days. Recently, he had raised the issue of seed scam due to he was detained. The police was also deployed outside his house and office.

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