Ambala SP Ajit Singh Shekhawat on Monday said the authorities were ready for talks with Sikh leaders over the lathicharge and removal of protesters on the National Highway 44 on August 13. Shekhawat’s verbal invitation for talks comes a week ahead of a large Sikh congregation at Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Ambala on August 25.
The SP said that after a meeting at Panjokhara Sahib Gurdwara, the protesters began their march towards the highway near Jaggi City Centre. He said the protesters raised the lathicharge issue, but “they were the ones who decided to block the highway despite assuring our DSPs that they would speak to the administration after the meeting”.
“We tried to stop them from marching, but they pushed us and even tried to run their vehicles over cops,” he said. The SP also criticised the protesters for using “kirpan” against police personnel, injuring at least nine of them. He referred to DSP (crime) Virender Sharma, who underwent a major surgery at PGIMER, Chandigarh, and may not be able to use his right thumb due to a severe injury. “They should accept their mistakes. We used maximum restraint to clear the highway. Attacks on police personnel with lethal weapons will not be tolerated. Despite all this, we are ready for talks again to resolve the issue, but Sikh leaders have to decide whether their demands are reasonable,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, a group of ex-policemen and kin of the injured cops met the SP, demanding action against the miscreants. Sonia Sharma, wife of the injured DSP, said, “The state government must take strict action against such elements who disturbed peace and attacked the cops.”
However, Angrej Singh, general secretary of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), blamed the police for not registering an FIR against Gursimran Singh Mand. Talking to journalists in Kurukshetra, he accused Mand of hitting a biker near Gurdwara Panjokhara Sahib.
