JALANDHAR: Akali Dal workers belonging to the Badal faction clashed with the workers of the Akali Dal (Baba), Akali Dal (Babar) and All India Sikh Students Federation in the premises of the Model Town gurdwara where the Akali Dal (Badal) president, Parkash Singh Badal was scheduled to address a meeting of the office-bearers of the district units of the party here, on Oct.2.
The Akali workers beat the Panthic workers when the latter tried to stop the general secretary of the Akali Dal (Badal), Kuldip Singh Wadala from entering the gurdwara. Some Akali workers with unsheathed swords chased the Panthic workers. Gurdip Singh of the Akali Dal (Baba), was dragged out and allegedly beaten by the Akali workers.
Police entered the gurdwara premises and took half a dozen Panthic workers into custody.
The situation was brought under control by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gurdev Singh, who reached the venue after receiving the news of the clash, He was able to persuade the Panthic workers not to disrupt the Akali meeting.
The police denied that any workers who arrested, while Ranbir Singh Khalsa of the Federation alleged that the police arrested Sukbir Singh Shalimar, Gurdip Singh, Phumman Singh and some others activists of the party.
The district administration had made heavy security arrangements around the gurdwara in view of the Panthic parties threat not to allow the Badal faction to hold a separate meeting, Party workers had started gathering in the gurdwara premises since early morning to prevent the entry of Akali workers.
The police posted outside the venue did not allow some Panthic workers to enter the gurdwara premises. They however, entered it through a window used for providing drinking water to the visitors.
Later, addressing a press conference Badal announced that his party will build up a “peaceful democratic mass movement” in Punjab to oust the Congress (I) government at the Center, the way the people of the erstwhile Soviet Union dismantled the totalitarian communist set-up in their country.
He said that his party would seek the cooperation of Opposition parties in its endeavor because “we believe that Congress government was never interested nor is and will never be interested in solving the Punjab problem,” he said.
Asked if he was hopeful of getting the support from the Opposition parties in his party’s endeavor to free Punjab from the Congress stranglehold, Badal quipped “we will try, We may or may not succeed.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 16, 1992
