Continuing its drive against Sikh hardliners, Punjab Police on Thursday took United Akali Dal general secretary Wassan Singh Zaffarwal in preventive custody, a day after several leaders, who organised ‘Sarbat Khalsa’, were arrested.
The former Khalistan Commando Force chief was picked up from his residence at Zaffarwal village near Dhariwal town of Gurdaspur district.
The arrest was part of the police crackdown on the leaders of Panthic organisations that had held a ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ at Chabba village near Amritsar on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, United Akali Dal head Mohkam Singh, preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal and "parallel" Akal Takht head Dhian Singh Mand and Amrik Singh Ajnala of Damdami Taksal were sent to judicial custody by a court. They were arrested on Wednesday.
The ‘Sarbat Khalsa’, a massive gathering of Sikhs, had “appointed” Jagtar Singh Hawara, the convict in Beant Singh assassination case, as jathedar of Akal Takht.
Apart from Akal Takht, which is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, the congregation (Sarbat Khalsa) also "removed" jathedars of two other Takhts — Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib.
On Wednesday, Akal Takht head Gurbachan Singh's customary address on the occasion of Diwali drowned in the din amid slogan shouting by Sikh hardliners, even as parallely "appointed" jathedar of Akal Takht, Dhian Singh Mand, also managed to address the gathering but was arrested soon after.
Mand, a former MP of SAD(A), was arrested Wednesday evening from inside the Golden Temple.
Akal Takht head Gurbachan Singh in his address asked Sikhs to remain vigilant against "anti-panthic forces". On the other hand, Mand sought Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's social boycott.
Mand delivered his address in front of the Darshani Deodi (entrance of the Golden Temple). He gave an appeal for social boycott of Badals.
Sikh protesters brandished swords and waved black flags in Golden Temple complex. However, no one was hurt in the melee.
Earlier, several leaders of hardline Sikh groups were detained here ahead of their proposed march to Golden Temple to address Sikhs on Diwali, a day after they had "appointed" Jagtar Singh Hawara, the convict in Beant Singh assassination case, as jathedar of Akal Takht.