Amritsar: Dal Khalsa takes out march on eve of Operation Blue Star anniversary, calls for bandh today

“We took out a ‘remembrance parade’ in Amritsar to pay homage to Sikh heroes who fought till their last breath for our cause, and to tell the Centre that we have neither forgotten nor will forgive the perpetrators of Operation Blue Star,” said Dal Khalsa president Harpal Singh Cheema.

Operation Blue Star was carried out by the Indian Army in June 1984 in order to capture pro-Khalistan ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and flush out other militants holed up in the Golden Temple. The hardliner Sikh group also called for an “Amritsar shutdown” on June 6 (Tuesday) to protest against ‘Operation Blue Star’. Dal Khalsa also announced June 6 as Khalistan Day.

“The shutdown call is for business establishments, traders, banks, petrol pumps, and educational institutions, but there would be no stoppage of transport vehicles,” said Kanwar Pal Singh, secretary, political affairs of Dal Khalsa. Dal Khalsa spokesperson Paramjit Singh Mand, SAD (Amritsar) leader Emaan Singh Mann and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Karnail Singh Panjoli also addressed the gathering.

Police on alert

“We have deployed two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and two companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF). Around 5,000 personnel have been deployed in the city,” said a spokesperson for the Amritsar police.