The Hindu : Front Page : Simranjit Singh Mann, others injured as Akali factions clash

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 26, 2006
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Simranjit Singh Mann, others injured as Akali factions clash

Staff Correspondent

The Akali leader was barred from a function to commemorate the 500th birth anniversary of Baba Budah

PHOTO: PTI

FIERCE FIGHT: Activists of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) in a scuffle in Amritsar on Wednesday.

CHANDIGARH: President of the Amritsar faction of the Akali Dal Simranjit Singh Mann; the former militant, Daljit Singh Bittu and a dozen others were injured on Wednesday when rival Akali factions clashed.

The incident happened at a function in Kathunangal town to commemorate the 500th birth anniversary of Baba Budah, the first head priest of the Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple).

A scuffle ensued when members of the Task Force deployed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) prevented Mr. Mann from going to the venue.

Witnesses said Mr. Mann was accompanied by a few dozen supporters, while the Task Force volunteers had the backing of the activists of the Akali faction led by the former Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, as well as the Mehta-Chawla group of the Sikh Students' Federation.

PHOTO: PTI

An injured Mr. Mann is being helped by SAD activists.

In the melee, shots were fired, swords unsheathed and lathi blows, fisticuffs and brickbats freely exchanged. For a short while, the function proceedings were disrupted. Order was restored by the local police, who removed Mr. Mann and his supporters from the scene. Apparently, the fracas is an outcome of the prolonged tension between the two rival factions.

On two occasions, during functions organised by the SGPC on the occasion of the anniversary of "Operation Bluestar" in June and the 400th anniversary of the creation of Akal Takht in July, Mr. Mann had forcibly gone on to the stage and criticised Mr. Badal.

Later talking to reporters, Mr. Mann accused the local police of being partial and alleged that the event was planned with the intention of physically assaulting him.

While his supporters were disarmed, the Task Force and Mr. Badal's men were allowed to carry weapons, he said.

Mr. Mann expressed a complete lack of confidence in the apex clergy who, according to him, were puppets.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page