Normalcy returns to Phagwara, leaders take out peace march

PHAGWARA: Normalcy returned to Phagwara on Wednesday as most of the shops and educational institutes remained open and no untoward incident was reported.

Traders in the Dalit-dominated Subash Nagar opened their shops five days after a clash took place between Dalit groups and Hindu right-wing organisations over the renaming of the ‘Gol Chowk’.

Local leaders, including local BJP MLA Som Parkash , Kapurthala Congress district president Joginder Singh Mann, mayor Arun Khosla (Congress), SAD leader Sarwan Singh Kullar, BSP’S Harbhajan Singh among others took out a ‘sadbhavna’ march to restore peace in the city.

Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Simarjit Singh Bains met members of the Dalit community on Wednesday.

Tension had gripped Phagwara after a clash between two groups in which five people were injured. The condition of one of the injured, Yashwant Bobby, undergoing treatment at the DMCH in Ludhiana, is stated to be serious.

Deputy commissioner Mohammed Tayyab and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Sharma have been camping in the city ever since the clash. Both the officers on Wednesday held meetings with duty magistrates and of the police and the civil administration officials.

The DC said to instil a sense of security among the residents, the police have been organising a flag marches in the city daily.

OPPN POLITICISING THE CLASH: CONG LEADER

JALANDHAR:ACCUSING the opposition of politicising the Phagwara clash, Congress leaders, including MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, MLAS Chaudhary Surinder Singh and Sushil Rinku, on Wednesday, termed the incident unfortunate and appealed to the people to restore peace and brotherhood. “SAD and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are trying to fuel the incident by issuing irresponsible statements,” Santokh Chadhary said.