Chandigarh: Punjab was on Friday limping back to normalcy after over a week long protests following sacrilege incidents and killing of two youths in police firing.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The traffic movement on majority of state and national highways was normal today, officials said.


"The situation is peaceful. There is normalcy. However, the central forces are still with us as a precautionary measure," Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said.


However, reports of protests by Sikh organisations continued on roads leading towards villages at some places.


Police and central para military forces are on high alert and keeping a close vigil on the situation, police said.


The situation is normal in most of the districts, including Moga, Faridkot, Muktsar, Bathinda, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana.


Ten companies of central para military forces are in place at Amritsar, Ludhiana, Tarn Taran and Jalandhar.


Meanwhile, inhabitants of Panjgrain Khurd village in Faridkot, the native place of two alleged prime accused in Bargari village sacrilege incident, maintained that they are "innocent and had been framed by police to quell the situation."


After the desecration in Bargari village, series of such incidents took place in other districts of the state.


ADGP IPS Sahota, who is heading the SIT to probe the incidents, said police is "investigating the matter."


Incidents of sacrilege took place at seven villages in the state in the recent past putting the state under turmoil with Sikh protesters blocking the highways and other key roads.


Police have so far arrested six persons, mostly working in Sikh shrines, in connection with the sacrilege incidents.


Punjab police have stated "foreign hand" behind the incidents of sacrilege even as the Centre has sought a report from the Punjab government on the matter.


Sikh organisations, not satisfied with the government's measures, yesterday announced setting up of a 'Peoples Commission' to probe sacrilege incidents, police firing in Faridkot's Behbal Kalan village where two people were killed and alleged police excesses on Sikhs in the state.