Clash averted at 2 places in Chhotepur’s home district of Gurdaspur

Gurdaspur, The Gurdaspur administration is keeping a watchful eye over the situation in former Punjab convener of AAP Sucha Singh Chhotepur’s home district even as the police averted a clash at two places on Sunday between pro- and anti-Kejriwal supporters.
In Dinanagar, Amandeep Singh Gill, a loyalist of Chhotepur and AAP’s Gurdaspur zonal in-charge, led a march of 200 supporters to the venue where Kejriwal’s followers, including former cabinet minister Balbir Singh Baath, AAP’s Gurdaspur observer Ankush Narang and party candidate from Fatehgarh Churian Gurvinder Singh Shampura, were holding a meeting.
A potentially-volatile situation was defused after SSP Jasdeep Singh quickly dispatched a police party which ensured that both the groups were separated by nearly 100 metre.
In Dera Baba Nanak, where a similar meeting was held today, the Batala Police, after receiving inputs about an “impending” clash, provided a heavy security cover at the venue.
Gurvinder Shampura is organising a rally to be addressed by AAP MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann at Kala Afghana village falling in Fatehgarh Churian segment on September 4.
However, Deputy Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said the permission will be given only after going through police reports. Sources claim that the reports are not very positive following which a nod to rally may not be given at all.
Batala SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon said the police were awaiting more inputs before a final decision is taken on the rally.
A groundswell of support is being witnessed in favour of Chhotepur in this district which forms a part of the Gurdaspur Parliamentary seat. During the 2014 elections, Chhotepur managed to bag 1.74 lakh votes, stunning even the most seasoned of political observers. In the 2012 assembly elections, he contested from the Qadian seat, falling in this district, and bagged 17,000 votes.
Even his arch-rivals like senior SAD leader and former cabinet minister S S Sekhwan are coming out openly in Chhotepur’s support.
Today, Sekhwan held a press conference in which he said, “Chhotepur is one of the most honest politicians in Punjab politics.” This assumes significance as during the last assembly polls, Chhotepur and Sekhwan were engaged in a bitter battle for the Qadian seat. Their verbal outbursts against each other at that time had become the talk of the town.
The Gurdaspur SSP said police were ready to crack the whip if any law and order problem erupted. “Some leaders, having a past history of indulging in violence are under watch,” he added.