Punjab Police withdraw security of ex-MLAs, Takht jathedars: Order

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police have ordered the withdrawal of security of 424 people, including former MLAs, Jathedars of two Takhts, heads of Deras, and police officers.

The additional director general of police (security), however, said in an order on Friday that the security personnel were “being withdrawn on a purely temporary basis in connection with an emergent law and order duty”. Prominent among Sikh temporal authorities to have lost the security cover is Giani Harpreet Singh, Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib in Bathinda. He also holds the charge of Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.

The security of Giani Raghbir Singh, Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib district; Sant Niranjan Dass, chief of Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar; Satguru Udhay Singh Namdhari, Bhaini Sahib, Ludhiana; Giani Jagtar Singh, head granthi at Golden Temple in Amritsar; Baba Lakha Singh, Gurdwara Nanaksar Kaleran wale, Jagraon; and Sant Tarminder Singh, Dera chief of Kahna Dhesian, Goraya in Jalandhar has also been withdrawn, as per the order. Ten personnel deployed to protect Dera Radha Soami Satsang Beas, nine of Dera Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Noormahal and six to guard Shahi Imam Punjab, Mohammad Usman Ludhianvi have also been withdrawn.

Among MLAs whose security has been rolled back are Shiromani Akali Dal legislator from Majitha seat Ganieve Kaur Majithia, Congress MLA from

Jalandhar Cantonment Pargat Singh and AAP MLA from Ludhiana North Madan Lal Bagga.

The security cover of former Congress MLAs Kuljit Singh Nagra, Balwinder Singh Laddi, Harminder Gill, Madan Lal Jalalpur, Surjit Dhiman, Hardial Kamboj and Sukhpal Bhullar, former BJP and SAD legislators Dinesh Babbu, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Kanwarjit Singh and Gurpartap Singh Wadala has also been dropped.

Former AAP MLAs Kanwar Sandhu and Jagtar Singh Jagga have also lost their security cover. The personnel deployed to protect former MLA and BJP leader Fatehjang Bajwa, former minister Tikshan Sood and BJP chief spokesperson Anil Sareen have also been called back.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Saturday claimed that the Punjab government had restored the security cover of the Akal Takht Jathedar following its partial withdrawal but he refused to take it back. However, till now there is no official reaction over the Sikh body’s claim.

OFFICIAL SAID SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE “BEING WITHDRAWN ON A TEMPORARY BASIS IN CONNECTION WITH EMERGENT DUTY”