Amritsar: Punjab Police on Saturday conducted raids across the state and detained several radical leaders ahead of the 32nd anniversary of Operation Bluestar, as a preventive measure to maintain law and order.
Three Sikh hardliners, including Dal Khalsa leader Daljit Singh Bittu, were apprehended from Ludhiana.
Sikh activist Manvinder Singh Giaspura and Jaswant Singh Cheema, a local leader of SAD (Amritsar), were also detained, the police said.
“It is a preventive action before the (Operation) Bluestar anniversary to maintain law and order,” police said.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday banned media coverage at the premises of Golden Temple, ground zero of Operation Bluestar, on June 6.
The order in this connection was passed by SGPC Chief Secretary Harcharan Singh.
In a letter written to Police Commissioner Amar Singh Chahal and District Public Relation Officer Sherjang Singh Hundal, Harcharan Singh sought help of the police to keep the media away from the periphery of Golden Temple on June 6 morning when the anniversary of Operation Bluestar is to be observed.
Singh said media has always interfered in the SGPC programme, hence press coverage for electronic media as well as photo journalists will not be allowed as it may hurt sentiments of Sikh devotees.
Confirming the SGPC orders, Hundal said Harcharan Singh spoke to him over phone after sending a copy of orders to his office.
Jarnail Singh Sakira, General Secretary of Simranjit Singh Mann-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), condemned the order and said it was highly unfortunate since such order were not passed even during the Operation Blue Star in June in 1984.
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