AJNALA, DADUWAL, PUT UNDER HOUSE ARREST
BANDI CHHOD DIWAS 700 cops deployed at the Golden Temple to avoid clash between radicals and SGPC task force
AMRITSAR: With parallel jathedars adamant on delivering “sandesh” (message) from Golden Temple on Bandi Chhod Diwas (Diwali), the police on Wednesday started crackdown on them. Police have put parallel jathedars of Takht Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib) Amrik Singh Ajnala and Takht Damdama Sahib Baljit Singh Daduwal under house arrest. A senior police official said Ajnala will not be allowed to venture out the headquarters of the breakaway group of the Damdami Taksal. ››
AMRITSAR: With parallel jathedars adamant on delivering “sandesh” (message) from Golden Temple on Bandi Chhod Diwas (Diwali), the police on Wednesday started crackdown on them.
Fearing a clash at the Golden Temple, the police have put parallel jathedars of Takht Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib) Amrik Singh Ajnala and Takht Damdama Sahib Baljit Singh Daduwal under house arrest.
A senior police official said Ajnala will not be allowed to venture out the headquarters of the breakaway group of the Damdami Taksal, which is based in Ajnala, till Akal Takht jathedar Gaini Gurbachan Singh reads out his “sandesh” at the Golden Temple on Thursday.
“The police force was sent to the taksal’s headquarters where he was asked to stay till Thursday evening. It has been done to avoid a clash at the Golden Temple,” a senior police official said.
Daduwal was put under house arrest at Kot Shamir in Bathinda, said police sources.
The security in and around the Golden Temple has also be heightened. The police have deployed over 700 cops, including policewomen. Cops in civvies will stay guard on the Golden Temple premises.
The parallel jathedars, appointed by the radical sarbat khalsa in 2015, declared that they would read out “sandesh” at the Golden Temple on Bandi Chhod Diwas (Diwali).
Additional cops, including 10 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), have been called from the neighbouring cities to maintain law and order, a senior official said.
The police will also set up special checkpoints in the busy markets of the holy city.
“Sniffer dog squads will also be deployed. Cops at the sensitive points will also have bulletproof jackets. Cops have been asked not to carry weapons inside the holy shrine,” said a senior official.
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Jagmohan Singh directed the cops to avoid using of mobile phones on duty.
“Cops will remain alert as we don’t want to take any chances. Ambulances and fire tenders have also been stationed around the Golden Temple,” the DCP said.
Police, however, said parallel jathedars and their supporters won’t be stopped from going inside the Golden Temple, but they won’t be allowed to create ruckus.
In a bid to ensure that peace prevails at the Golden Temple on Diwali, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had on Tuesday asked the state government to set up security at the shrine.
In 2015, parallel jathedar of Akal Takht Dhian Singh Mand succeeded in reading out his message at the Akal Takht on Diwali despite restrictions imposed by the police and the SGPC task force, leading to tension.
However, the police foiled the similar bid last year. On both these occasions, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which also controls the apex gurdwara body, was ruling the state.