Clash inside Golden Temple premises on Bluestar anniv, 12 hurt

Two groups clashed inside the Golden Temple premises for close to half an hour this morning leaving at least 12 persons injured, even as the temple city observed a bandh to mark the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
Brandishing swords, spears and sticks, video footages showed people clashing and chasing each other outside the Akal Takht building inside the complex. Some others were seen running for cover.
The situation took an ugly turn when one of the Akali Dal factions led by former IPS officer Simranjeet Singh Mann along with his supporters tried to raise pro-Khalistani slogans from the rostrum of Akal Takht, Amritsar Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said.

Mann was prevented from delivering his speech during a ceremony organised to mark the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar following which a clash broke out between activists of his group Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and guards of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), he said, adding that swords were used in the violence which left five members of SGPC task force injured.
Police personnel are not permitted inside the Golden temple premises where security and other issues are under the control of the task force, Aulakh said.
"The situation has been defused and things are under total control," he said.
When contacted Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh said the the incident is being investigated. "Preliminary reports suggest that some unscrupulous elements were responsible for it," he told PTI.

There was no disruption of worship at the Golden Temple, an official said.