Sikh activist group, Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (QIM), has agreed to conduct their planned protest march in Mohali instead of Chandigarh on Independence Day. After being denied permission by the Chandigarh Police to hold the protest in the city, the QIM reached a compromise with authorities and decided to restrict their demonstration to Mohali. The QIM has been protesting at YPS Chowk in Mohali since January 7, causing disruptions in traffic along the Chandigarh-Mohali route.
The decision to move the protest came after a series of meetings between the QIM representatives and the Chandigarh and Mohali police. The morcha initially refused to budge, but later agreed to the revised route plan to avoid a confrontation with the government and inconvenience to the public. The revised march will begin at 10am on Tuesday from YPS Chowk and proceed towards Phase 3-A, Madanpura Chowk, Airport Road, Sohana Gurudwara, and then conclude back at YPS Chowk.
Gurcharan Singh, foster father of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Jagtar Singh Hawara, stated that the protest is a peaceful agitation and will continue until their demands are met. He emphasized that the QIM does not want to clash with the government. The QIM’s request to protest in Chandigarh was denied, prompting them to agree on the revised route plan.
Earlier this year, on February 8, Sikh activists clashed with police when they were stopped from entering Chandigarh during a protest march. To prevent any potential unrest, the Chandigarh Police will seal all 12 entry and exit points in the city and deploy 1,000 police officers to guard the borders. In addition to the Chandigarh Police, paramilitary forces such as the Rapid Action Force (RAF), ITBP, and CRPF will be deployed.
The Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator, Banwarilal Purhoit, intervened after previous attempts by the Chandigarh Police to dissuade the organizers of the protest march were unsuccessful. Purhoit held a special meeting with QIM representatives, including Gurcharan Singh, Jaswinder Singh Rajpura, and advocate Gursharan Singh, among others. Despite the intervention, the Chandigarh Police maintained their stance of not allowing protesters to enter the city due to the imposition of Section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits assemblies of four or more individuals.
The decision to hold the protest in Mohali was made after a meeting between the Chandigarh Police, the QIM, and Mohali police officials, including IGP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and Mohali SSP Sandeep Kumar Garg. The organizers were provided with a route map to ensure a peaceful demonstration. The QIM also expressed a desire to avoid any clashes, particularly with a scheduled hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 17.
Despite two previous meetings between the Chandigarh Police and the QIM to call off the march, those attempts were unsuccessful. The QIM’s decision to conduct the protest in Mohali instead of Chandigarh has brought some resolution to the situation, but tensions remain high as authorities prepare for potential unrest and ensure the safety of the public and government personnel.
Overall, the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha’s agreement to hold their protest march in Mohali instead of Chandigarh on Independence Day comes after facing denial of permission by the Chandigarh Police. The move aims to prevent potential clashes and inconvenience to the public while still allowing the QIM to voice their grievances. The decision was reached after meetings between the QIM representatives and police officials, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold during the demonstration in Mohali.
