Policemen injured, Police vehicles vandalised in sword attack on Police during a religious procession of the Sikh community in Nanded

Frequent attacks on the Policemen are worrisome and clearly show the deteriorating law and order in the State !

Nanded (Maharashtra) – The Policemen who stopped a religious procession that was taken out on 29^th March, hundreds of Sikhs attacked them with swords. Fourteen Policemen were injured in the attack. The condition of 4 Policemen is said to be critical. Seven vehicles, including the vehicle of the Superintendent of Police, were also vandalised in the attack. Twenty people were arrested in the case.

The Sikh community takes out a procession of Hola Mohalla from the Gurdwara every year after Holi. “Permission for the Hola Mohalla public procession was not granted due to the pandemic. The Gurdwara committee was informed and they had assured us that they would abide by our directives and hold the event inside the Gurdwara premises”, said Nanded Range DIG Nisar Tamboli “However, when the Nishan Sahib was brought at the gate around 4 p.m., several participants started arguing and over 300 youth stormed out of the gate, broke the barricades and began attacking the Policemen”, he said. Two bodyguards of the Superintendent of Police were also injured in the attack.

Nanded is an important Sikh pilgrimage centre as it is home to a sacred shrine, the Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchal Nagar Sahib. It was here that Guru Gobind Singh anointed the Holy book Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru of Sikhism.