Tension escalated at the Chandigarh-Mohali border on Saturday as Chandigarh Police used water cannons and tear gas to stop hundreds of protesters of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha from entering the Union Territory to press for the release of Sikh prisoners and 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted in the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
The protesters attempted to enter Chandigarh through YPS Chowk around 11.30 am. Police had erected barricades at multiple points along the Chandigarh-Mohali border to prevent them from moving ahead.
The situation turned tense after protesters attempted to remove the barricades and advance towards Chandigarh. Police used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse them. Some protesters also tried to remove barricades placed behind tractors, even as police repeatedly appealed to them to move back.
A resident of Mohali, Amit Singh, said tear gas shells were thrown towards the Mohali side. “Tear gas shells by Chandigarh Police officials were thrown towards Mohali, and I could see them landing at YPS Chowk,” he said.
Amid heightened security, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann was reportedly detained by Chandigarh Police while attempting to reach Punjab Raj Bhavan. Mann was seen with bandages on his head. Police sources said he had reached a residence near Raj Bhavan a day earlier and stayed there overnight. He was later detained after security personnel became suspicious of his movements near a barricade.
The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has been pressing for the release of Bandi Singhs and other Sikh prisoners, including those it says have remained incarcerated for prolonged periods since the 1980s and 1990s.
Ahead of Saturday’s protest, Hawara, who is lodged in prison, released a video message on Friday, appealing to those participating in the march to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
According to the police, major entry and transit points along the Chandigarh-Mohali border were barricaded. These included Sarovar Path (Mohali Barrier/Gaushala Chowk), Sector 51/52 light points, the Sector 56 furniture market area, Kajheri border, YPS Chowk and roads near Phases 10 and 11 of Mohali.
Rishi Sharma, who was travelling to Chandigarh from Zirakpur, said it took him around 45 minutes to cross the border. “I was stuck in the traffic jam,” he said.
The developments came a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court, hearing a matter related to the proposed protest, said citizens have a fundamental right to assemble and express their views through peaceful protest. The court, however, observed that where a protest ceases to be peaceful, turns violent or poses a threat to public safety, authorities are duty-bound to take appropriate preventive and remedial measures in accordance with law.
“We hope and trust that the states of Punjab and Haryana, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, shall act with due sensitivity and responsibility and ensure that no untoward incident is permitted to occur,” the bench said. The matter has been listed for August 20.
