PHAGWARA: Tensions simmered in the Phillaur and Goraya areas of Punjab on Tuesday after police briefly detained Harjinder Singh Jakhu, state vice-president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), along with a group of party supporters. The group had gathered near the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in village Nangal, Phillaur, to pay tribute and hold a protest rally condemning the recent desecration of the revered social reformer’s statue.
The event, as per the SAD(A)’s schedule, was to be addressed by party working president Emaan Singh Mann and followed by a community Langar. However, local police intervened before the program could commence, citing concerns over potential disruption to public order. Jakhu and approximately 15–20 party activists were taken into preventive custody and escorted to Goraya Police Station, where they were detained for close to two hours.
Their detention prompted a swift reaction, with hundreds of SAD(A) supporters from nearby areas, including Phagwara, Goraya, and Phillaur, assembling outside the Goraya Police Station. Following mounting pressure and the peaceful congregation of party workers, the detained leaders were released without charges.
Speaking to the media after his release, Harjinder Singh Jakhu strongly criticized what he described as the administration’s “unjustified high-handedness, ” asserting that the party’s intent was peaceful and constitutional. He reiterated SAD(A)’s condemnation of the defacing of Dr. Ambedkar’s statue, an act that had triggered widespread outrage in the region, and demanded immediate legal action against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, chairman of the U.S.-based advocacy group Sikhs for Justice, whom he accused of instigating the act.
Earlier in the day, senior police officials, including the SSP of Jalandhar and DSP of Phillaur, reportedly urged Jakhu to refrain from holding any public gathering in Phillaur under the leadership of Emaan Singh Mann. Authorities cited concerns over maintaining peace and communal harmony, given the sensitive nature of the incident involving Dr. Ambedkar’s statue.
Despite the preventive detentions and the cancellation of the event, no major law and order disturbances were reported. SAD(A) activists returned peacefully to Phagwara after their release but expressed sharp discontent against both the state government and Gurpatwant Singh Pannu through slogans and public statements.
The situation in Phillaur and surrounding areas remains calm but tense, as local authorities continue to monitor the aftermath of the aborted protest and the community’s response to the statue desecration incident. No fresh arrests or protests were reported at the time of filing this report.