Operation Bluestar Anniversary: 5 Injured in Clash Inside Golden Temple

Amritsar: Five people were injured in a clash inside Golden Temple in Amristar when people had gathered there to mark the 31st anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

The incident took place as members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or SGPC's Task Force resorted to lathicharge on a group of 22 Sikhs who were raising pro-Khalistan slogans on the periphery of the temple near Akal Takht, police said.

Five protestors were injured out of which two sustained head injuries.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Parmpal Singh said that trouble started as the group of 22 people raised pro-Khalistan slogans and were joined in it by some Sikhs who had come to the temple.

That prompted the SGPC Task Force members to disperse them and the slogan-chanting people were forced to move outside Golden Temple, where all 22 of them were taken into preventive custody by the police.

SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar said the incident was the handiwork of some "suspicious elements" who raised separatist slogans while brandishing swords.

SGPC further said the act has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community as it alleged that many of those who had caused the disturbance inside the Golden Temple premises were clean shaven and had come just to disturb the sanctity of the holy place.

Earlier, in the morning, slogans referring to Khalistan (a separate Sikh Home land) were raised amidst brandishing of sword at Akal Takht by Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD (Amritsar) supporters, who were led by former lawmaker Dhian Singh Mand.

President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and former lawmaker Simranjit Singh Mann could not be present at Akal Takht due to ill health.

But in his absence, Mr Mand led the party's activists, including a sizeable number of youths who brandished swords and raised pro-Khalistan slogans.

Policemen in plainclothes were present inside the premises of Golden Temple along with a heavy deployment of SGPC's Task Force.