Kartarpur October 4:
Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and his 217 supporters were arrested by Jalandhar (rural) police when they gathered at Kartarpur, around 18 km from Jalandhar, to proceed towards Jalandhar bus stand to gherao buses owned by chef minister Parkash Singh Badal's family.
They were taken to Kartarpur police station from where they were released around 12.15 am. Khaira had announced to block Badals' buses in the bus stand at 11 am to protest against the "loot of state exchequer" by manipulating state transport policy.
He and his other supporters had made Kartarpur as convergence point as they had to come from various places. However, police top brass decided that they be prevented from entering Jalandhar city as the scene at bus stand could be more chaotic and embarrassing with hundreds of commuters viewing the protest and any subsequent action by the police. It is learnt that expected high media glare at Jalandhar was also one of the factors to make administration to keep the action point away from the city.
SDM Babita Kler and SP (Hq) Rajjit Singh were leading the police contingent and after rounding up Khaira, his son Mehtab Singh, former DCC president Navtej Singh Cheema and others at around 11 am, cops made them to board police buses. They were brought to police station from where they were released at around 12.15 PM. Interestingly the Congress leaders and activists gathered at a hotel in Kartarpur owned by a recently elected SGPC member.
Khaira said that the Badals had murdered democracy in Punjab. "We had assembled for a peaceful protest to highlight the issue to hijack of transport trade by the Badals in Punjab. But the arrogant and autocratic Badals do not have the courage to face public criticism and have indulged in undemocratic, unconstitutional and illegitimate manner to arrest Congress workers," he said. Jalandhar Rural SSP Hardial Singh Mann said that they were arrested under section 107/151 of CrPC when there was vital apprehension of breach of peace. "They were released after that apprehension was over," he said.
Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and his 217 supporters were arrested by Jalandhar (rural) police when they gathered at Kartarpur, around 18 km from Jalandhar, to proceed towards Jalandhar bus stand to gherao buses owned by chef minister Parkash Singh Badal's family.
They were taken to Kartarpur police station from where they were released around 12.15 am. Khaira had announced to block Badals' buses in the bus stand at 11 am to protest against the "loot of state exchequer" by manipulating state transport policy.
He and his other supporters had made Kartarpur as convergence point as they had to come from various places. However, police top brass decided that they be prevented from entering Jalandhar city as the scene at bus stand could be more chaotic and embarrassing with hundreds of commuters viewing the protest and any subsequent action by the police. It is learnt that expected high media glare at Jalandhar was also one of the factors to make administration to keep the action point away from the city.
SDM Babita Kler and SP (Hq) Rajjit Singh were leading the police contingent and after rounding up Khaira, his son Mehtab Singh, former DCC president Navtej Singh Cheema and others at around 11 am, cops made them to board police buses. They were brought to police station from where they were released at around 12.15 PM. Interestingly the Congress leaders and activists gathered at a hotel in Kartarpur owned by a recently elected SGPC member.
Khaira said that the Badals had murdered democracy in Punjab. "We had assembled for a peaceful protest to highlight the issue to hijack of transport trade by the Badals in Punjab. But the arrogant and autocratic Badals do not have the courage to face public criticism and have indulged in undemocratic, unconstitutional and illegitimate manner to arrest Congress workers," he said. Jalandhar Rural SSP Hardial Singh Mann said that they were arrested under section 107/151 of CrPC when there was vital apprehension of breach of peace. "They were released after that apprehension was over," he said.
