Op Bluestar anniversary: 2 companies of para forces, 5,000 cops to guard Amritsar
With Sikh hardliners announcing to observe a complete shutdown on the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar on June 6, two companies of paramilitary forces and 5,000 cops of Punjab Police will be deployed in Amritsar to maintain law and order
AMRITSAR : With Sikh hardliners announcing to observe a complete shutdown on the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar on June 6, two companies of paramilitary forces and 5,000 cops of Punjab Police will be deployed in Amritsar to maintain law and order.
This will be the first anniversary of the 1984 military operation to flush out militants from the Golden Temple after Punjab Police crackdown against pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh and members of his ‘Waris Punjab De’ organisation in March this year.
Two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to deal with riot and crowd control situations, have already reached Amritsar, said spokesperson of the Amritsar commissionerate police. Each company has 80 personnel.
“Besides, two companies of Punjab Police anti-riot wing and special commandoes will be deployed in the city. A total of 5,000 cops, including police personnel from neighbouring districts, will guard the Holy City,” the spokesperson said.
Superintendent of police (SPs) and deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) from Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot may also be called for better management of the security arrangements for the Operation Bluestar anniversary, said officials familiar with the matter.
On Thursday, various teams of Amritsar police led by deputy commissioner of police (DCP-law and order) Parminder Singh Bhandal conducted a flag march in different areas of the city.
The flag march was also conducted on Heritage Street which saw three back-to-back low intensity blasts last month.
The spokesperson said 60 checkpoints will be set up across the city. Police have also issued an appeal to the people to share information about suspicious elements.
The Operation Bluestar anniversary will be marked at Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, on the Golden Temple complex. Akhand Path (uninterrupted recitation of Guru Granth Sahib) will commence on June 4 and Akal Takht jathedar will deliver a message to community on the occasion.
On Thursday, death anniversary of Mehanga Singh Babbar, militant of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), who was first to be gunned down by the security forces during the operation on June 1, was observed by the Hawara Committee in collaboration with the SGPC and other outfits at Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai Sahib situation in complex of the Central Sikh shrine.
Pro-Khalistan organisation Dal Khalsa on Thursday gave a call for Amritsar bandh on June 6 to mark the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
The outfit will also take out a march on June 5 evening starting from Burj Akali Phoola Singh.
