Amritsar, June 4 – Keeping in view the forthcoming Ghalughara week (Operation Blue Star Anniversary) ADGP (Special) Law & Order, Punjab Arpit Shukla visited the city to review security arrangements in the city especially around the Sri Darbar Sahib complex where the group of Sikh hardliners are going to assemble to take part in the Ghalughara week.
Talking to media, ADGP (Special) Law & Order, Arpit Shukla said, he was here to hold a meeting with all the police officers in Amritsar in order to maintain law and order situation and to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in the city. He said in this regard police held a series of meetings with all the Sikh outfits and discussed the various issues to keep the situation under control on June 6 in the Golden Temple.
He said that on June 6, sizable gathering can be expected in the Sri Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht where operation Blue Star anniversary to be observed.
He said that not only in Amritsar but security arrangements all over the Punjab have been enhanced with the deployment of eleven companies of paramilitary forces including BSF and CRPF besides three thousand personnel of Punjab police forces.
He said all sensitive and hypersensitive points in the city were covered by the police and keeping a hawk eye on the situation so that June 6 religious congregations in the Sri Darbar Sahib should remain peaceful.
Talking about the June 6, Bandh call given by Radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa, he said that it was the prerogative of owners of Shopkeepers and business establishments as nobody will force them to shut their business houses as heavy deployment of police will remain in the city by June 7.
Commissioner of Police Naunihal Singh said that all police officers will be available for around the clock to serve the Public, so, no need to panic as the situation was very peaceful in the city and would remain peaceful as people and all Sikh outfits were extending full cooperation to police. He said that there was no communication gap between the police and all Sikh outfits and the general public.
It may be added here that on June 6, 1984 a military action with code name Operation Blue Star was launched against Sikh radical leader Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala. During Operation Blue Star several people from the General public and army people including militant leader Bhindrawalla were killed and Akal Takht (highest Sikh temporal seat) was badly damaged in the army bombardment. Thereafter, Sikh community every year on June 6, observe the anniversary of Operation Blue Star in anger and tell the Sikh gathering in the Sri Darbar Sahib as how during army operation the pious Sri Darbar Sahib complex and Akal Takht were damaged by the Indian army as many Sikh devotees had lost their lives to bullets.
