Patiala: The Patiala district administration, in coordination with an Indian Army unit, conducted a drill on Thursday to prepare for the safe evacuation of activist Gurjeet Singh Khalsa from a 400-foot BSNL mobile tower in Samana, where he staged a prolonged sit-in protest demanding a stringent anti-sacrilege law.A hydraulic crane fitted with a turntable ladder was arranged for the operation, which was led by Punjab’s Fire Department under the technical guidance and supervision of the Army unit, deployed at the request of the state govt. Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Samana, Richa Goyal, confirmed that the crane was requisitioned on the deputy commissioner’s request from a corporation in another district of Punjab. “The drill was conducted today to bring down the protester, who is sitting at around 300 feet. The hydraulic crane will be used for this purpose. The operation will be carried out by the fire department under the technical assistance and advice of the Indian Army unit,” SDM Goyal said. She added that the Army contingent will operate under the command of a Colonel.Khalsa, a 43-year-old farmer and retired soldier from Kheri Nagaiyan village in Patiala, first climbed the tower on Oct 12-2024, demanding stringent punishment in case of sacrilege of Shri Guru Granth Sahib. Since his agitation, he survived atop the tower with a sheet of tarpaulin for shelter and a single meal delivered each day by a villager. His protest stemmed from a series of sacrilege incidents in Punjab, including a 2015 Bargari sacrilege incident and the latest in Jalandhar, before he decided to climb the tower.After 18 months atop the tower, Khalsa agreed to climb down after Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria gave his assent to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, paving the way for enactment of the long-demanded law. “His descent is scheduled for Friday. The Patiala administration sought the Army’s assistance in terms of both men and equipment, given the gravity of the situation and the technical challenges involved in bringing a person safely down from such a height,” said a source. MSID: 130472477 413 |
