Patiala: Punjab government have imposed the curfew and suspended mobile Internet services in Patiala district, a day after different groups of people clashed amid a confrontation surrounding the holding of a foot march in the city against the pro-Khalistan movement the attempt.
The clash left at least four, including two police officers, injured. In order to bring the situation under control, the police had to fire shots in the air as well.
As a result of the violent clash, an 11-hour curfew has been placed in the district, from 7 pm on Friday, to maintain peace and law and order. However, the court stated that all essential and emergency services would be exempted from the order.
The government also transferred the Inspector General of Police (Patiala range), Senior Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Police of Patiala, according to an official statement.
Earlier, the conflicts broke out after a group that called itself the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) led a procession – “Khalistan Murdabad March” and clashed with a group of Sikh activists, including some Nihangs, and started shouting sloganeering and throwing stones at one another.
On the back of this, numerous Sikh activists, including Nihangs, took out a countermarch against the Sena rally. The supporters even blocked Patiala’s Fountain Chawk and shouted slogans supporting Khalistan.
Soon after the incident, numerous video clips of a section of individuals brandishing swords and shouting slogans started surfacing on social media.
Many even confronted police personnel as the problem escalated. In one of those videos, a man stands on top of a building near the temple and throws stones amid the chaos. Numerous members of the two groups were also seen throwing stones and waving swords at each other too.
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