E-Paper
Chandigarh: Qaumi Insaaf Morcha lifts protest from Sector 52/53 road
Suspend daily protests at the site following assurance from the Punjab government that they are preparing to produce Jagtar Singh Hawara before court after bringing him from Delhi’s Tihar jail
After daily protests and “paaths” at the Sector 52/53 dividing road near the Chandigarh-Mohali border since February 6, the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has decided not to send a delegation of 31 members to the site till March 31.
“We have suspended sending our delegation till March 31 following assurance from the Punjab government that they are preparing to produce Jagtar Singh Hawara before court after bringing him from Delhi’s Tihar jail,” said advocate Dilsher Singh Jandiala, member of the morcha’s organising committee. Jandiala is also the assisting advocate of Hawara, convicted of assassinating former Punjab CM Beant Singh.
However, taking no chances, police will continue to barricade the border, especially after the February 8 violence that had left at least 33 police personnel injured.
“We are not downscaling the security as of now. We will take a call depending on the situation on the ground,” said a senior official of the Chandigarh Police.
Mohali SSP Sandep Garg also said that the barricading on Mohali end will not be removed until a discussion with the Chandigarh Police.
Meanwhile, the morcha continues to lay siege to the nearby YPS Chowk, where they have been protesting since January 7, seeking release of Sikh prisoners lodged in different jails despite completion of their jail sentences. The protesters are also seeking registration of a murder case against the officials and politicians allegedly responsible for the police action on Sikh protesters at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan.
As a result, two major roads connecting Chandigarh and Mohali remain blocked, leaving commuters at the receiving end.
On Thursday, gangster-turned-politician Lakha Sidhana, along with his supporters, also reached the spot to extend solidarity to the protesters.
