Buzz about Sidhu Moosewala’s father contesting from Bathinda as Independent candidate
Shambhu/Kapuri, Ambala: The Punjab Police on Thursday arrested an MP and 19 MLAs of INLD, Haryana’s opposition party, for violating Section 144 of the CrPC as they tried to cross over to the Punjab side to take up symbolic digging of SYL canal.The first batch of arrested INLD leaders was taken away in a private bus.
Earlier, in view of the party’s call for a march to Punjab to dig the SYL canal, INLD workers entered the Punjab portion of the Ghaggar bridge on the Punjab-Haryana border near Shambhu barrier.
INLD workers dug the ground on the road as a symbolic gesture.
Abhay Chautala addressed the workers and asked them to go back after making a symbolic gesture of digging.
However, making a U-turn, Abhay Chautala requested Punjab Police to let them march into the Punjab side peacefully.
He assured Punjab Police that INLD will maintain peace and asked his party workers to climb down from the barricades.
While some INLD workers started to return, Chautala persisted with his request for an entry into Punjab.
Punjab Police asked INLD workers to disperse and vacate the area in 10 minutes or else they will be arrested. INLD workers were jubilant at the prospect of being arrested for a cause.
Police asked the protesters to get arrested one by one and not to push each other.
The arrested leaders were seen giving bites to media posing for photos.
The INLD workers, too, demanded that they be arrested by Punjab Police.
Punjab police have started making arrangements for early resumption of traffic on the highway and requested people to vacate the road.
Earlier, the INLD workers broke the barricade chain and entered Patiala district.
Punjab Police warned the INLD not to move further as Section 144 is in force.
A huge posse of personnel was deployed and barricades were put up at the main entry points from Haryana from where the INLD workers entered Punjab.
Police personnel were deployed in large numbers at Shambu toll barrier and Sarala headworks at the border with Haryana.
The barricading at Shambu toll barrier is just 2 km from the new vegetable market in Ambala where the INLD held ‘Jal Yudh Sammelan’ before their senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala led a march towards Kapuri in Patiala to dig the SYL canal.
Arrangements had been made to divert traffic at many places in view of the march.
Ten companies of paramilitary forces and nearly 5,000 policemen had been deployed by Punjab near villages along the border with Haryana, officials said.
With the police of the two states working in tandem to tackle the situation, the roads had been barricaded and walls raised at the Shambhu border.
Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons, was imposed and five duty magistrates were stationed in the area.
A senior Punjab Police official said aerial surveillance was also conducted to keep an eye on the situation.
Meanwhile, Punjab Police had decided not to allow the workers of All-India Sikh Students Federation, which announced to stop INLD workers from entering Punjab, to reach Kapuri or the Shambu border.
Punjab DGP (Law and Order) HS Dhillon said no one would be allowed to disturb the peace and take the law into their hands.
Police personnel, drawn from neighbouring districts, 10 companies of paramilitary, riot police and a mounted battalion, were deployed along the Shambu border, about 30 km from here.
Haryana DGP KP Singh, ADGP RC Mishra and senior administration and police officers visited the Punjab-Haryana border to take stock of the situation.
Mishra said nearly 1,000 personnel of the state police are monitoring situation in Ambala City and on the NH-1.
Punjab DGP Suresh Arora had earlier visited Shambu village and had assessed the situation ahead of the INLD’s march.
“All possible measures have been taken. Forces are ready to tackle any situation,” said Punjab’s DGP Suresh Arora.
At the Ambala rally, the INLD held Capt Amarinder Singh, the Congress and BJP responsible for the situation. The party wanted Capt Amarinder Singh to apologise to Haryanvis for stopping their water from flowing into Haryana.
Party leader Ashok Arora said they were not seeking alms as water was their right. Singer Karaveer Fauji sang a song especially composed for the march.
