Mohali/SAS Nagar – The Mohali police yesterday thwarted the protest march by Sikh organisations on the issue of release of Sikh prisoners (who have completed their term in various jails) by arresting nearly 250 protesters including women from Phase 7 here today. The arrested protesters were taken to an unknown destination in six buses immediately after their arrest around 2 pm.
Mohali SSP GS Bhullar said the arrest was preventive. All the protesters were released in the evening.
It was a tough time for the Mohali police as Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was scheduled to launch a Community Policing Wing at a stone’s throw away from the protest venue at 3.30 pm.
The protesters were demanding immediate release of those Sikh detainees who have already completed their terms and were still lodged in various jails across the country.
Earlier, around 300 persons, including leaders of various Sikh bodies, assembled in front of Gurdwara Amb Sahib at Phase 8 around 11 am. A large posse of the police was present at the spot.
As the protesters were not allowed to enter the gurdwara by SGPC Task Force members — around 50 in number — they were forced to hold a meeting in front of the gurdwara.
At around 1 pm, the protesters started running towards the Phase 7 traffic light intersection to start their march towards Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence at Chandigarh. After much effort, the police managed to arrest most of the protesters.
The Sikh leaders of various bodies who were present at the spot included Mohkam Singh from the United Sikh Movement, Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib from Dal Khalsa, Amrik Singh Ajnala from Damdami Taksal, RP Singh from Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Paramjit Singh Bedi from the Sikh Youth United.