Security tightened ahead of Op Bluestar anniversary, 4,000 cops to guard Amritsar city
Nearly 4,000 cops will stand guard in the wake of the 41st anniversary of Operation Bluestar on June 6 in Amritsar, officials said.
'Services of all the wings of the police are being taken. Besides, city police, cops from surrounding districts, including Amritsar rural, Batala and Tarn Taran, have been deployed in the city,' an official said, pleading anonymity.
The police have already beefed up security in the city, and on Wednesday, a flag march was held with security agencies keeping a tight vigil to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident.
Led by ADCP-1 Vishaljit Singh, the flag march started from Hall Gate, passing through the Hall Bazaar, Town Hall and Katra Jaimal Singh Bazaar.
ACP central Jaspal Singh, station house officers (SHOs) of police station E division and D division along with local police and commandos, participated in the march.
'In addition to this, special 24-hour checkpoints have been established at the city's entry and exit points as well as in internal areas. Thorough checking of vehicles and suspicious individuals is being done at designated nakas (checkpoints),' commissioner of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said.
The walled city of Amritsar, especially surrounding the Golden Temple, is being guarded by the cops in large numbers and frisking of the passersby is being carried out at key points of the roads.
Cops in plain clothes along with intelligence agency personnel are also keeping a watch around the holiest Sikh shrine.
The Sikh hardliner groups including Dal Khalsa is undertaking a march on June 5 and has called for a complete shutdown in the city on June 6.
Meanwhile, akhand paath (uninterrupted recitation of Guru Granth Sahib) started at Akal Takht to mark the anniversary falling, in the presence of key SGPC office-bearers. The SGPC, cops and agencies are on their toes as Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma has objected to Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj delivering a sandesh (address) from the platform of the highest Sikh temporal seat.
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