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Chandigarh: HC summons Punjab DGP over YPS Chowk blockade
Underway since January 7, Qaumi Insaaf Morcha’s protest has completed 130 days while inter-city traffic movement via the rotary remains suspended
Taking serious note of government’s failure in clearing the YPS Chowk blockade, where protesters have held traffic to ransom since January 7, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday summoned state’s director general of police (DGP) on May 24.
The order was passed during the resumed hearing of a March 10 plea by NGO ArriveSAFE, seeking removal of protesters from YPS Chowk, a major traffic lifeline. The rotary, near the Chandigarh-Mohali border, has been completely blocked by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha to demand release of Sikh prisoners, majorly hitting inter-city movement of traffic.
During the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the government submitted that an amicable solution will be found soon.
However, the NGO’s counsel, Ravi Kamal Gupta, told the court that the protest had been going on since January 7 and the government had only been making empty promises. A joint dharna was also proposed at the site on May 25, he informed the court.
The court was apprised of criminal cases registered for various incidents of violence reported at the site and police’s failure to arrests the perpetrators.
On February 8, protesters had clashed with police forces at the Sector 52/53 dividing road after being stopped from marching towards Chandigarh, leaving at least 33 cops injured. Terming it a “well-thought-out conspiracy”, Chandigarh Police had booked six persons and put around 30 on the suspect list.
On March 24, the decomposed body of Surjit Singh, a Nihang from Ludhiana, was found in one of the tents at YPS Chowk. Police had claimed there was no injury mark, but have not revealed cause of death so far.
Then on April 9, Nihangs armed with swords had clashed with each other, following which police had booked nine for attempt to murder and rioting. Another man was found dead near the protest site on April 12. Police had attributed the death to cardiac arrest.
Even though the government counsels submitted that the number of protesters had dwindled and number of tents had also come down, the court was not satisfied with the response and ordered that the DGP remain present on the next date of hearing on May 24. The detailed order is still awaited.
During the last hearing on April 11, the court observed that there appeared to be some indecision on the part of the authorities to take action. “It (protest) cannot be allowed to continue for all time to come,” the bench had said.
“What transpires is that the force, which is required to take action, is ready and willing, but there appears to be some indecision on the part of the authorities to take action. We hope and expect that the authorities succeed in the negotiations with the agitators, but then there has to be an end to all this,” the court had remarked.
