Police pressuring owner not to give land for Sarbat Khalsa: Simranjit

MANN, WHO VISITED THE PROPOSED SITE OF THE CONGREGATION, SAID POLICE ’DETAINED’ A MAN WHO WAS CULTIVATING THE PIECE OF LAND AND HAD AGREED TO PROVIDE IT FOR RELIGIOUS MEET

BATHINDA: President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann on Saturday said that Punjab government through police was pressuring the owner not to give land for holding ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ near Talwandi Sabo on December 8.

Mann, who visited the proposed site of the congregation, said police “detained” a man, Nirbhay Singh, who was cultivating the piece of land and had agreed to provide it for the religious meet. A delegation led by Mann also went to the office of Talwandi Sabo deputy superintendent of police to “free” the man. However, DSP Mohri Lal denied the allegation, saying no person by the name of Nirbhay Singh was in detention.

Mann said Punjab government was not letting them exercise their fundamental right of holding the congregation, but the event will he held as planned. He said the Congress, too, was also in collusion with the SADBJP to scuttle the event.

Hearing of a petition for granting permission to hold the congregations is listed for December 5 in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Sikh radicals have already announced that they will resort to traffic blockade across the state in case the congregation is scuttled and won’t allow Akali Dal’s rally in Moga scheduled the same day. The event was scheduled for November 10 but it couldn’t take place as police had detained over 2,000 people, comprising organisers and sympathisers of redical elements, from across the state. Bathinda district administration had denied permission to hold the event citing apprehension of law and order problem.

‘BADALS PLAYING POLITICS ON SIKHS’

SIRSA: Radical Sikh leader Baljeet Singh Daduwal on Saturday said Badal family was playing politics on Sikhism, which will not be tolerated . He appealed to the people to take part in the December 8 “Sarbat Khalsa” at Talwandi Sabo. He was addressing mediapersons here.

Sikh hardliners have decided to hold the “Sarbat Khalsa” at Bhagi Vandar village near Talwandi Sabo on December 8, coinciding with Badal government’s Moga rally.

Addressing mediapersons, Daduwal said Sikh community will boycott the Badal family, adding “Sarbat Khalsa is not against any religion but for the wellness of the ‘sarbat’ (all)”. He said Badals were supporting Dera Sacha Sauda against the orders of the Akal Takht. “In the history of Akal Takht, never did it take back its order. Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was forgiven for wearing the uniform similar to that of Guru Gobind SIngh under the influence of the Badal family,” he said.

He said Badal family was filing false charges against those fighting for Sikhs and pushing the young generation towards drugs. He said the Badal family was wrongly aligning the Nabha jailbreak with the ISI of Pakistan.

He warned that if there was any attempt to disrupt “Sarbat Khalsa”, there will be protests in Moga