Haridwar police detained All India Sikh Conference (AISC) president Gurcharan Singh Babbar along with his driver and other members when they were heading to Haridwar reportedly to take possession of the Gyan Godi Gurudwara from encroachers on the occasion of Baisakhi fair. The police detained them from Narsen border and took them to a guest house in Roorkee. The AISC spokesman Naresh Malhotra alleged that hundreds of Sikh devotees who were heading for Har ki Paidi to celebrate Baisakhi were detained by the Haridwar police at various entry points of the city.
In a statement, the AISC spokesman Naresh Malhotra said that Babbar and his associates were detained at Haridwar border by Uttrakhand Police. They were going peacefully to Har ki Paidi to take possession of historical Gyan Godri gurudwara from the encroachers, which was demolished during 1984 riots.
When asked, the Haridwar senior superintendent of police Krishna Kumar VK said, “In the morning Gurcharan Singh Babbar and ten of his associates were coming in their own cars from Delhi. We got the information about the group moving towards Har Ki Paidi. They were detained for questioning at Narsen border about their plan of action. Another apprehension was that in the past there have been instances of law and order situation arising when such a huge gathering is there, so we detained them to be released in the evening,” added the SSP.
As per the sources, heavy forces were deployed by the Uttarakhand police to stop the groups of Sikhs from entering the city from various parts of the country.
Former President of Sikh youth federation of Haridwar, Anup Sidhu said, "In 1978, a wall of the Gurdwara had caved in during the construction of a bridge at Har Ki Paidi, and the shrine was demolished during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. There are two rooms at the site occupied by Scout and Guide office, which is the historic site and we wish to reclaim it,” he added.