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Qaumi Insaaf Morcha stir: With cops handling protesters, policing takes a hit in Mohali
A violent clash had taken place last week in which 33 police personnel were injured after armed protesters under the banner of Qaumi Insaaf Morcha went on a rampage, smashing vehicles and cornering cops, near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on the Sector 52/53 dividing road.
The policing in Mohali has been hit due to the ongoing protest by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha that is spearheading the stir for the release of Sikh prisoners at the YPS Chowk since January 7.
A violent clash had taken place last week in which 33 police personnel were injured and dozens of police vehicles were damaged after armed protesters went on a rampage, smashing vehicles and cornering cops, near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on the Sector 52/53 dividing road.
Since the clash, cops from both Mohali and Chandigarh are on their toes to ensure all possible preventive measures to avoid any further untoward situation.
With all senior police officers, including Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Garg along with all SPs, DSPs and SHOs remaining deployed at the Sector 52/53 Mohali/Chandigarh chowk where the clash took place, the work has been majorly affected in the police stations.
There are around 2,000 cops in Mohali and most of them are deployed in administrative tasks or to attend VIPs here.
According to the police, cases are getting piled up in police stations since the force is busy at the protest site to refrain the protesters from entering Chandigarh.
“The work is piling up daily in the police stations and in the offices. Complainants or victims are bearing the brunt as the maximum force is present at the protest site along with the additional police from other districts. We are not getting time to hear the grievances of the residents as we don’t want to take any chance by decreasing force here,” said a senior police officer.
The key branches of the Mohali police, including the Mohali Cyber Cell and the CIA, have also been affected as their staff, including senior officers, have been deployed to supervise the protest daily.
“Our work is suffering a lot. We have prepared a temporary base camp near the protest site and we summon important files there only. There is a definite need to end this protest or else people in the district will suffer,” another senior officer said.
When asked how Mohali police are able to maintain balance between monitoring the morcha and curbing other crimes in the district, the Mohali SSP said, “We are trying to stretch our services with all the best available resources. The police force is ensuring that all the emergency work is done and the public is not harassed”.
However, a 31-member delegation of Sikh activists continued to stage a sit-in and organised a “paath” for the eighth day near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on the Sector 52/53 dividing road.
After being stopped from marching towards Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh once again, the protesters marched back to the YPS Chowk.
A week after the clash, police in both Chandigarh and Mohali are yet to make any arrests.
