25 May : Asserting the situation in the state was under control, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal has said the violence sparked by the killing of a Sikh sect leader in Austria was confined only to a few pockets in Jalandhar and neighbouring areas."The situation is normal. There is no violence at this moment. Some incidents which took place today were limited to a few pockets, mostly in Jalandhar," he told a joint press conference with his son and Deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal at Chandigarh on Monday.
The Chief Minister said one person was killed in a shooting incident in Jalandhar’s Lambra village while seven were injured in violence elsewhere in the state since Sunday night.
Strongly condemning the killing of Sant Rama Nand in fighting between rival Sikh communities in Austrian capital Vienna, he said his government would leave no stone unturned in restoring calm in the state.
"We have already deployed 40 armed battalions of the Punjab Armed Police to deal with the situation. We have also sought 25 companies of para-military forces from the Centre," Badal said.
"Army has been asked to stand by and will be called out whenever required. Army has conducted flag marches in parts of Jalandhar to instill a sense of confidence among people," he said.
Badal said his government would recommend to the Election Commission to defer the Nurmahal assembly by-election slated for 28th May as the segment falls in trouble-torn Jalandhar.
The concerned Deputy Commissioner had also recommended to the state government that holding of the election at this stage was not feasible, the Chief Minister said.
He said both he and his Deputy spoke to External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Monday and requested him to take up the matter with his counterpart in Austria.
Badal said Sant Surinder Dass, a close associate of Guru Rama Nand, had appealed to people to maintain peace in the state."Peace and communal harmony in Punjab will be maintained and no one will be allowed to take law in his own own hands," he said.The Chief Minister said he had convened an all-party meeting on Tuesday in the light of Monday’s incidents.
Army deployed; indefinite curfew after violence in Jalandhar
Curfew was imposed in many cities and towns of Punab including Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phagwara and Hoshiarpur following violence and damages to properties.Tension triggered following some scuffles between two groups after an attack on a Gurduwara in Vienna in Austria on Sunday.
Viewing the violence in a Vienna gurdwara as a "disturbing" development, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Monday said the government will ensure that perpetrators of the "completely mindless" and "wanton act" are brought to justice.
Deputy Commissioner S Pannu said precautionary curfew imposed last night has been extended for an indefinite period and five columns of army deployed to control the situation.Shops and commercial establishments were closed following a Punjab bandh call given by local units of the Dera Sachkhand Ballan whose leaders were attacked in Vienna.
The Shiromani Akali Dal also gave a bandh call. Road and railway traffic was disrupted at several places in the state even as protestors damaged trains, buses and other vehicles at various places including Jalandhar, Phagwara, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahar, Banga, Ludhiana and Moga.The Delhi-Lahore bus service was stopped at Ludhiana as a precautionary measure.