After clashes occurred on Friday between a Khalistani mob and members of a Hindu organisation outside the sacred Ma Kali Temple in Punjab’s Patiala, Punjab police announced that they are discussing with Shiv Sena State president Harish Singla since the march was not authorised.
Patiala, Punjab | Seeing the problem of law and order here, police have been deployed. We are speaking with Shiv Sena’s (one of the two groups) chief Harish Singla as they don’t have any permission for the march: DSP pic.twitter.com/6QCGy2jZgy
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2022
DSP Patiala has further stated that looking at the situation in the area, heavy police forces have been deployed in the locality.
Harish Sangla, the Punjab working head of Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray, spoke to OpIndia about the conflicts between Khalistani extremists and Hindus. Sangla stated that his party organised a ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march to condemn a small group of Khalistan followers who harboured separatist sentiments.
Sangla said, “We had organised a ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march to mark our protest against a minuscule section of people who are still harbouring secessionist ideology and support the idea of Khalistan. This march was against proponents of Khalistan who have caused grave pain to the people of Punjab, who were victims of Khalistani terrorism and had lost their loved ones to it. Our protest was against Khalistan and we will never allow Punjab to become Khalistan.”
“Initially, a handful of pro-Khalistan supporters tried to stop our march but we drove them. Then, they brought with them a large number of people to attack the Kali Mata Temple,” he further added.
The violence occurred during Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray’s ‘Khalistan Murdabad‘ march when Khalistan supporters attacked the march with stones and swords.
The clashes allegedly erupted as Khalistan supporters chanted shouts in favour of Khalistan while hitting participants in the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march. The armed Sikh mob which was a part of the pro-Khalistan rally organised in opposition to the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march attacked the Kali Mata Temple after Hindus had taken shelter inside the temple premises.
While any state police should be focussing on controlling separatist and terrorist elements like the Khalistani mobs, one wonders if the Punjab police is getting ready to blame the Hindus organisations for taking out a march condemning secessionists. It would appear that using the trope that the march did not have “permission” only means that the police is saying that it is the fault of the Hindu organisation for “provoking” the Khalistanis instead of arresting and focussing on weeding out Khalistanis.
