The 36th anniversary of Operation Bluestar passed off peacefully in Ludhaina on Saturday. Police had already taken all precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incident in the city.
The police had put local leaders of various Hindu organisations and Sikh radicals under ‘house arrest’ and did not allow them to move out on Saturday.
District president of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) Gurdeep Singh Gosha was rounded from near the Clock Tower and the police did not allow him to move around.
The administration had deployed additional 1,000 police personnel in the city to ensure peace in the city. At least 4,000 police personnel were already on lockdown duty.
The cyber cell of the police had also kept a tab on social networking sites to check if someone was trying to provoke emotions of people by posting provocative content.
Gosha said he was arrested without any reason when he was distributing langar. He said he was first taken to a police station before putting him under ‘house arrest’.
Ashok Thapar, president of the Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Brigade Anti Terrorist Front, who was kept under ‘house arrest’ said they had planned to hold a programme to pay tributes to the martyrs, who attained martyrdom in a fight against terrorism at the Daresi ground. But, the police did not allow them to move out and also sealed the Daresi ground.
He added members of Hindu organisations, however, lit lamps at their homes to pay homage to martyrs.
{{/usCountry}}He added members of Hindu organisations, however, lit lamps at their homes to pay homage to martyrs.
{{/usCountry}}Commissioner of police Rakesh Agrawal said, “No one was kept under house arrest. Sensing the situation, the police requested leaders of both Hindu and Sikh organisations to stay home. Most leaders voluntarily offered to stay home. Those, who did not abide by the advice, the police rounded up then and took them to their homes.”
No protest or any clash was reported in the city, he added.