A mob allegedly attacked the house of local Akali Dal MLA Farzana Nissara Khatoon while protesting alleged sacrilege of a religious book forcing police to open fire, police said on Saturday.
Six policemen including a DSP was injured as protesters who numbered around 300-400 indulged in stone pelting, torched a car and a room meant for security men outside the MLA’s house. The legislator who was in the house was safe, DSP Randhir Singh said on the incident that occured in Malerkotla town in Sangrur district on Friday night.
Farzana is the wife of former Punjab Police DGP Mohammad Izhar Alam.
As tension prevailed in the area, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday urged the people to maintain peace and communal harmony while the opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party alleged it was a conspiracy to destabilise the State ahead of Assembly elections next year and demanded a judicial probe.
Congress leader Amarinder Singh claimed that the people wanted to meet the MLA in connection with the incident when her security personnel “fired indiscriminately” at them.
The trouble started when some people allegedly found torn pages of a religious book near Jarag Chowk here.
Protesting over the incident, a group of 300-400 people first blocked the Sangrur-Ludhiana highway.
“They damaged three vehicles of the MLA including setting a car on fire. Then they also burnt down the room meant for security men outside the house of the legislator,” said the DSP.
Police and security men of Khatoon fired in the air to disperse the crowd. The mob pelted stones at police personnel injuring to six policemen including a DSP, said police.
Heavy police force has been deployed in the wake of the incident. DIG (Patiala Range) B. S. Sidhu said, “Situation (in Malerkotla) is peaceful now.”
A case has been registered in this regard, police said, adding that no arrest has been made so far.
DGP (Law and Order) Hardeep Singh Dhillon along with I-G (Patiala Zone) Paramjit Singh Umra Nangal visited the area and reviewed the situation.
Badal condemns incident
Strongly condemning the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged the people to remain calm and said that nobody would be allowed to disturb the hard earned peace and communal harmony in the State.
He appealed the people in general and especially the Muslim brethren to maintain peace, amity and communal harmony at all cost.
Expressing deep anguish over the incident, Mr Badal said it was time to display the ethos of religious tolerance, unity and brotherhood.
He also warned the anti-social elements saying strict action will be taken against them.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh expressed apprehension that the incident in Malerkotla was “conspiracy at the behest of the ruling party to disturb peace and destabilise Punjab” ahead of elections. - PTI
Six policemen, including a DSP, injured as protesters indulged in stone pelting
