Ludhiana: Sectarian tensions flared in the city on Monday as a religious protest turned violent, leaving a politician’s security vehicle vandalised and prompting police to file multiple criminal charges.The confrontation began on Monday morning when a group of men, mostly dressed in traditional Nihang Sikh warrior attire, gathered outside the office of Ludhiana police commissioner Swapan Sharma. The group sought to file a formal complaint against a local social media influencer who they alleged had uploaded objectionable content that insulted their religious beliefs.However, anger erupted when Sharma departed the headquarters to oversee security for visiting Punjab governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, before meeting with the delegation.Incensed by the commissioner’s departing from the scene, the demonstrators marched onto the busy Ludhiana-Ferozepur road, blocking all traffic. Senior police officers, including additional deputy commissioner Vaibhav Sehgal and officers from the crime investigation agency, came over to defuse the blockade.Sehgal urged the demonstrators to move the protest to his office to process their complaint, but the crowd refused to clear the highway.Tensions peaked minutes later when the motorcade of Rajiv Tandon, chairman of the Hindu group Shiv Sena Punjab, attempted to pass through the blockade. Tandon travels with a police escort due to active security threats against him.As police officers tried to clear a path for Tandon’s vehicle, protesters surrounded and intercepted the convoy. The pilot escort vehicle’s windshield was smashed during the ensuing scuffle before police extracted Tandon from the crowd.The attack on the convoy triggered a swift counter-protest, with Hindu demonstrators now assembling outside the commissioner’s office to demand immediate arrests. Commissioner Sharma returned to the headquarters shortly after to pacify the counter-protesters, promising decisive legal action.Police have registered a first-information report (FIR) — the official precursor to criminal charges in India — against protesters Tarunjot, Danish Kapoor, and several unidentified accomplices.“The police registered the FIR based on a complaint filed by Tandon’s security officer,” said Sarabjit Singh, the assistant commissioner of police for Civil Lines. “The charges include obstructing a public servant, assaulting a public servant to deter them from duty, mischief causing damage and criminal intimidation.An FIR was ordered against the social-media influencer as well.
