Former gangster Sidhana, aides held in Moga on way to Shahkot

MOGA: The state police arrested former gangster and social activist Lakha Sidhana, and a group of around 35 of his supporters while they were on their way to Shahkot to protest against the state government on the issue of leakage of molasses into the Beas river and the resultant death of fish. Bypoll to the Shahkot assembly seat is scheduled on May 28 (Monday).

Initially, the Moga police stopped the men on the MogaBarnala road at 11am and detained them under the supervision of SP (detective) Wazir Singh Khaira. Around noon, they were taken to the Mehna police station in Moga.

Later in the day, Bathinda SSP Naveen Singla said, “We have arrested Sidhana and his accomplices in a case related to smudging of signboards registered at the Talwandi Sabo police station.”

As chairman of the Malwa Youth Federation, which he floated, Sidhana made headlines recently when he and his supporters smudged English language on signboards on highways, demanding that Punjabi be put on top. Recently, he had also met Punjab jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on the condition of jails in the state.

After the initial detention, Sidhana put out a live video on Facebook. “We were going to Shahkot to question the Congress ministers and leaders on the water pollution but we were stopped,” he says in the post. He has also questioned the Congress government in the state on the non-registration of a FIR against the owner of the mill from where the pollutants leaked into the river.

“Rivers of Punjab have been polluted due to industrial effluents for four decades. People and the environment are suffering,” Sidhana claimed.