Face-off between cops, hardliners in Faridkot

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, September 16

Tension prevailed in the town and the adjoining Kotkapura on Sunday after Sikh hardliners, sitting on a dharna at Bargari, announced that they would not allow the Akalis to hold the rally.

Though the police had put up nakas at all entry and exit points of the town and restrained Sikh activists at Gurdwara Mai Godri on the Kotkapura-Faridkot road, situated at the distance of about 6 km from the rally venue, nearly 100 activists, brandishing swords and other weapons, managed to enter the town.

At 2 pm, the hardliners started a march towards the rally venue, but a heavy police force deployed near city police station stopped them. 

Besides seeking passage to the rally, the hardliners asked the police to release four of their members. During this struggle with the police, some hardliners ran towards the rally venue and allegedly damaged two vehicles of SAD workers, parked near the railway station.

Party chief Sukhbir Badal later alleged that the police made no serious effort to stop the radicals despite the High Court orders to maintain law and order. In the name of controlling these elements, the police blocked the main roads to harass SAD workers so that they could not reach the venue, he alleged.

Rajbachan Singh Sidhu, SSP, denied the allegations, saying maintaining law and order was their top priority. Around 20 companies of police were deployed in the town, he said.

Manjinder Singh, sarpanch of Mughal Chak village in Tarn Taran, demanded a criminal case against radical leaders, including Daduwal, for a murderous attack 

on him and other SAD supporters and for damaging their vehicles.

Vehicles collide

Muktsar: Some vehicles in Sukhbir’s cavalcade collided at a security check point at Maan Singh Wala village on the Muktsar-Sadiq-Faridkot road on Sunday. There was no loss apart from minor damage to vehicles. Sukhbir was leaving for the Faridkot rally when the mishap occurred. 

Cops failed to rein in radicals: Sukhbir

Party chief Sukhbir Badal later alleged that the police made no serious effort to stop the radicals despite the High Court orders to maintain law and order. In the name of controlling these elements, the police blocked the main roads to harass SAD workers so that they could not reach the venue, he alleged.