No major incident of violence was reported from any part of Punjab on Wednesday during the day-long bandh called by various Sikh organisations to protest against the execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the Beant Singh killing, even as tension prevailed and normal life was disrupted in various parts of the state.
Tension prevailed in various cities of the state as few incidents of skirmishes were reported between Sikh protesters and right-wing Hindu activists. According to the police, several Sikh protesters stopped the Shane-e-Punjab express train near a crossing close to Jalandhar. However, when protesters pelted stones at the police, they were dispersed from the area with mild lathicharge.
In another incident reported from Patiala, six people were injured in a confrontation between protesters and Shiv Sainiks. However, the mob melted away after police intervention, police sources said. There are reports coming in that tension prevailed in the towns of Gurdaspur and Batala during the bandh.
According to reports reaching here, the call for bandh evoked a total response in the cities of Patiala, Ludhiana and Phagwara, Taking no chances, the state police has deployed 60,000 Punjab police personnel, apart from the 15 companies of paramilitary forces, to avoid any untoward incident during the bandh.
Security forces were conducting flag marches at various key locations in the state to instil a sense of confidence among the people. Special control rooms were also set up in the districts to keep an eye on the movement of protesters. The state government had clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144, banning assembly of five or more persons were at various places in view of the bandh.
Besides, the security around the Patiala Central Jail, where Rajoana is lodged, has also been beefed up and additional security checkpoints have been erected to restrict the entry of those going towards the prison side.
Rajoana on Wednesday made a fresh appeal from Pataial jail to people for maintaining peace and communal harmony in the state. The appeal, released through his foster sister Kamaldeep Kaur from the jail, said that the “people of Punjab should ensure that peace and brotherhood is maintained”.