Bargari Morcha leaders to lift dharna on Dec 9

Jupinderjit Singh & Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Faridkot, Dec 6

The six-month-long dharna at Bargari by Panthic organisations is all set to be lifted on Sunday following an announcement by Sikh leaders that they were satisfied with the government action in sacrilege and police firing incidents, besides its efforts for the release of Sikh detainees or their transfer to Punjab jails.

The announcement was made by Baljit Singh Daduwal at Bargari. The government welcomed the move and praised the Bargari Morcha leaders and supporters, saying this was one of the most disciplined and peaceful protests.

Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa said Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh would decide who to send or whether to send anyone or not to Bargari. He said the government had noted that the protesting bodies never caused a law and order problem or supported Khalistan or Sikh Referendum 2020. He said the protesters even condemned the attack at Nirankari Bhavan, Amritsar.

Bajwa and other Congress leaders, besides police officials and the head of a prominent dera in Jalandhar played a major role in reaching the peace deal.

Bajwa said the government had conceded to their major demand by taking up the release of Sikh detainees or their transfer to Punjab jails. He said the SIT probing sacrilege and police firing incidents even questioned former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and showed its sincerity in investigation.

Dhian Singh Mand, the acting parallel jathedar of Akal Takht, who has been leading the dharna since June 1, said the government had accepted most of their demands and a public announcement would be made on Sunday.