JALANDHAR: Arresting 185 Akali Dal (B) leaders and workers, including party Chief Prakash Singh Badal, the Jalandhar police foiled the proposed dharna by Akalis, in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, on Dec, 7.

Badal was arrested on Tuesday at Shakot while he was preparing to come to Jalandhar to lead demonstrators. The police also arrested several followers of the Akali Dal (B) president from Shakot, Jalandhar district president Sawrup Singh, former minister Sarvan Singh, Jalandhar urban unit vice-president Gurdev Singh and councilor Kuldip Singh Bhatia were arrested from various parts of the city, while they were trying to bring out jathas for the demonstration.

At about noon Akali workers under the leadership of Gurdey Singh assembled at PNB chowk had tried to break the police cordon to reach the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They were immediately taken into custody. The district chief, who gave a slip to the police on Monday and went underground to organize the demonstration, was apprehended along with his supporters, while he was attempting to send a jatha from Guru Nanak Mission hospital.

Earlier declaring the Akali demonstration illegal, the district administration had made an elaborate arrangement to prevent the Akalis from taking part in the demonstration, as a preventive measure, the police arrested several: Akali leaders including the senior vice president Kuldip Singh Wadala. The police on Tuesday cordoned off the Deputy Commissioner’s office and did not allow anybody to enter the office. Policemen were also deployed around gurdwaras and residences of Akali leaders (0 prevent the Akalis from taking out jathas to the demonstration site.

The Akali Dal (B) had given a call to demonstrate in front of various district headquarters of the state from Dec.7.

Meanwhile, the senior vice president of the Akali Dal (B) Wadala has been remanded for judicial custody till Dec.14, The arrested Akali leaders and workers are likely to be kept in confinement till the end of the demonstration program.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 17, 1993