Big traffic snarls were witnessed in Industrial Area when the police closed the roads leading to Elante and Centra Mall, apprehending trouble on the release of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's movie MSG: The Messenger, on Friday morning. Although the day passed peacefully, security arrangements, which included closure of the parking at Elante and Centra Mall, will continue on Saturday. Barricades were put on the roads, not allowing vehicles to proceed towards Centra and Elante Malls. Visitors had to park their vehicles far away and then walk to the two malls. Police was deployed in strength at both places, also at Fun Republic in Manimajra and Piccadily Square in Sector 34, where also the movie was released. “We have instructions not to allow anyone inside. Parking arrangements have been made near the SDM office, near poultry farm chowk and the light point of colony number 4,” said Inspector Devinder Sharma, SHO of Industrial Area police. [related-post] Gurdeep Singh Bedi, who stays and owns a factory a factory in Industrial Area, said, “I left house at 7.30 am to drop my children to school. That time, the police allowed me to leave. But when i came back, it was not allowed to enter”. Bedi and his brother KS Bedi were seen requesting the SHO asking him to allow them to enter. An angry Lakhbir Singh Matharoo blocked the traffic by parking his car in the middle of the road, leading to Centra Mall from the CTU workshop, when the police did not allow him to enter the Industrial area. “We have our factories here. Police should have informed us before barricading the roads. How will we work?” he said. The roads were opened around 9 am after someone called the Police Control Room complaining about the jam. SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said, “The roads were opened initially for those who work in the area. Later, the movement of traffic was made liberal”. He said the restrctions would continue tomorrow in view of Valentine’s Day. “Tomorrow evening we will assess the situation,” he said. Gill said that since there was nothing in the film which would hurt religious sentiments, the police did not apprehend any problem. “The rush was only for the morning show. By evening, though the bookings were full, there were not many followers who came to see the movie,” the SSP said.
