After violence, 3 top Patiala cops moved
IG, SSP, SP among six cops shunted out; 6 FIRs registered, two more men held; Sikh radical leader Parwana identified as main conspirator, booked
PATIALA: The Punjab government on Saturday shunted out three senior police officers, including an inspector general, as uneasy calm prevailed in Patiala a day after clashes between two groups over an anti-Khalistan march that had left four people injured.
Police have registered six FIRs in connection with the violence and arrested two more people, including two aides of self-styled Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) leader Harish Singla who had organised the march and was arrested on Friday.
In all, 24 people have been named in various FIRs, including Sikh radical leader Barjinder Singh Parwana, who according to police was the “main conspirator” and has gone into hiding.
Meanwhile, mobile internet and SMS services that were suspended in the district at 9:30 am by the state’s home affairs and justice department were restored in the evening. Heavy police force has been deployed in the main city to keep the situation under control, and it is learnt that the chief minister’s office (CMO) and home secretary are personally monitoring the situation. Various political and social organisations also appealed to the people and authorities to ensure peace.
Earlier in the day, the government transferred inspector general of police (Patiala range) Rakesh Aggarwal, Patiala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nanak Singh besides the Patiala SP (city), DSP (city) and two station house officers. An inquiry has been marked into the entire incident, said chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
A spokesperson of CMO said Mukhwinder Singh Chhina has been appointed as the new IG-Patiala while Deepak Parik will be the new Patiala SSP.
“A total of six FIRs have been registered and so far 24 suspects have been identified. A massive manhunt has been launched to nab them. No one will be allowed to disturb peace in the city,” said IG Mukhwinder Singh Chinna, who held a meeting with the city’s peace committee and prominent Hindu community members and other stakeholders after taking over charge from Rakesh Aggarwal.
Chinna said an FIR has been registered against Parwana and his associates for stone pelting, and said police have procured the incident’s CCTV footage and would not spare anyone found indulging in violence and stone pelting.
Various Hindu groups, which had given a call for a bandh in protest against the Friday’s incident, deferred it for two days and lifted their dharna from outside the Kali Mata temple after the IG’s assurance.
Meanwhile, Singla and his two aides were produced in court and sent to two-day police remand. The Patiala deputy commissioner said the situation is calm and peaceful.
This was a clash between two political parties and not between two communities. In Punjab, people live in peace. BHAGWANT MANN, Punjab CM
PATIALA: The Royal City limbed back to normalcy with security personnel keeping a tight vigil a day after a clash between two groups over an “anti-Khalistan” march.
Mobile internet and SMS services that were suspended from 9.30am by the state’s home affairs and justice department till 4pm.
“Punjab Police will come down very heavily whoever tries to disturb peace and communal harmony,” said new Patiala range inspector general of police Mukhwinder Singh Chhina, flanked by Patiala deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney.
Heavy police security was deployed at the site of the clashes outside the Kali Mata temple here. Various Hindu groups had given a call for a bandh in protest against Friday’s incident. Several markets in Patiala city remained shut on Saturday.
Representatives of some Hindu groups lifted their ‘dharna’ outside the temple and deferred their proposed protest march after police and district administration assured them of action within two days against those who were behind the disturbance and violence on Friday.
The groups had clashed over the “anti-Khalistan” march, hurling stones at each other and brandishing swords. Police had to fire in the air to bring the situation under control.
A meeting of the district-level peace committee was also held on Saturday in which local MLAs, senior police officials and representatives of the religious bodies appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony.
Talking to the media earlier, Patiala DC Sawhney said the situation
is calm and peaceful. To a question on whether one person received bullet injury in Friday’s incident, she said a bullet had hit a person but it was yet not clear how it hit him. Videos are being examined, the patient is stable, said the DC.
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony and also said that whosoever was behind the Friday incident will not be spared. “CM Mann saab himself is monitoring the situation,” he further said.
Meanwhile, Punjab BJP leaders led by its state unit chief Ashwani Sharma on Saturday paid obeisance at Kali Mata temple and appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony. Sharma demanded an independent probe into the incident and strict action against those who were behind this incident.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang on Saturday said some divisive forces were trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab. Divisive forces which
A MEETING OF THE DISTRICT-LEVEL PEACE COMMITTEE WAS HELD ON SATURDAY IN WHICH LOCAL MLA, SENIOR COPS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF RELIGIOUS BODIES APPEALED TO PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN PEACE
thrive in destruction and chaos are trying to vitiate the peace and social harmony in Punjab. Punjab is known for resilience and Universal brotherhood will not allow such nefarious Designs to succeed.
Every step in the book will be taken to nail the culprits, said Kang in a tweet.
SGPC leader Karnail Singh Panjoli also condemned the incident: “It was failure of police due to which such incident took place. We condemn FIR against Parwana. Had police timely rein in elements like Harish Singla, when they announced anti-Khalistan March, no such incident would have taken place. Its failure of the AAP government. Punjab’s peace and harmony is in danger under AAP”, he said.