Waris Punjab De marches to Mann’s residence over Amritpal

Akali Dal Waris Punjab De supporters, seeking the release of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh and the Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners), clashed with Chandigarh Police on Wednesday after being stopped from a march to gherao the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Police resorted to water cannons to disperse party workers as a large number of them broke through police barricades at the Chandigarh-Mohali border. A tense situation prevailed as the protesters tried to force their way to Mann’s residence, prompting the authorities to deploy a heavy police force and station anti-riot vehicles near the chief minister’s house.

According to Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, some police jawans have sustained injuries, some of them grievous. Some protesters have been detained.

Earlier, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De had announced that it would gherao the Punjab chief minister’s residence to press for the release of Amritpal Singh and the Bandi Singhs, the Sikh prisoners convicted for being involved in militancy during the 1990s Punjab insurgency.

On Wednesday, a large number of party workers carrying posters of Amritpal Singh and the Bandi Singhs, accompanied by Nihangs (Sikh warriors) wielding swords and other traditional weapons, marched from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali to Chandigarh. Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh and prominent party leader Manpreet Singh Ayali were among the protesters, according to police.

In view of the march, Chandigarh Police had made heavy deployment of personnel and erected barricades at the Mohali-Chandigarh border near Burail Jail to stop the protesters from marching towards the Union Territory.

However, a large number of protesters tried to break through these barricades, forcing police to resort to water cannons in a bid to disperse. A clash ensued, in which several policemen were injured, according to the Chandigarh SSP.