Chandigarh: Chandigarh Police on Wednesday detained several protesters after they marched close to the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence while demanding the release of Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh, who is lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam, and Sikh prisoners referred to by supporters as “Bandi Singhs”.
The protesters had earlier assembled at Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali before proceeding towards Chandigarh on foot and in vehicles. While Punjab Police allowed the procession to move through Mohali, it escorted the group up to the Chandigarh border.
According to reports, when the protesters entered Chandigarh through Sector 45, police had erected barricades near Gaushala Chowk. Following an argument with security personnel, some protesters allegedly removed the barricades, prompting police to use water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Several protesters reportedly sustained minor injuries during the police action, while some also lost their turbans in the commotion.
Some demonstrators then climbed onto the water cannon vehicle and turned the nozzle away, after which the group continued towards the city. Police and protesters were involved in repeated confrontations as the march advanced towards the Chief Minister’s residence.
As tensions escalated, Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Iyali, who were leading the protest, submitted a memorandum to the administration near the Sector 7-8 intersection. However, a section of the protesters continued towards the Chief Minister’s residence.
Police later detained the protesters after they reached the vicinity of the residence.
Following the incident, Tarsem Singh alleged that the government was attempting to portray the protest in a negative light and claimed that disruptive elements had been planted among the demonstrators. The administration had not responded to the allegation at the time of filing this report.
