The Crossbill News Desk
A protest march by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha seeking the release of Sikh prisoners and 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara led to clashes with police at the Chandigarh-Mohali border on Saturday (August 14), with Chandigarh Police using water cannons and tear gas to prevent protesters from entering the Union Territory.
Hundreds of protesters gathered near YPS Chowk and attempted to move towards Chandigarh around 11.30 am. Police had deployed barricades at several points along the border as part of heightened security arrangements. According to reports, tensions rose when protesters tried to remove the barricades and advance towards the city.
Police responded by firing water cannons and using tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Some protesters attempted to push through barricades placed behind tractors despite repeated appeals from the police to move back, The Indian Express reported.
The protest was organised to demand the release of Bandi Singhs and other Sikh prisoners, including those whom the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha says have spent prolonged periods in prison since the 1980s and 1990s.
The protesters were also seeking 10-day parole for Hawara, who is serving a sentence in prison for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann was also reportedly detained by Chandigarh Police while attempting to reach Punjab Raj Bhavan. Mann, who was seen with bandages on his head, had reportedly arrived at a residence near Raj Bhavan on Friday and stayed there overnight. Police sources said he was later detained after security personnel became suspicious of his movements near a barricade.
Hawara, in a video message released from prison on Friday, had appealed to participants in the proposed march to ensure that the demonstration remained peaceful and that no untoward incident occurred.
Saturday’s confrontation came a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court addressed the proposed protest and underlined the constitutional protection for peaceful assembly. At the same time, the court said authorities could intervene if demonstrations became violent or threatened public safety.
“We hope and trust that the states of Punjab and Haryana, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, shall act with due sensitivity and responsibility and ensure that no untoward incident is permitted to occur,” the bench said, reported the newspaper.
The court is scheduled to hear the matter again on August 20. The latest confrontation at the Chandigarh-Mohali border is likely to keep the demands of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha and the question of restrictions on protests under close scrutiny.
Hundreds of protesters gathered near YPS Chowk and attempted to move towards Chandigarh around 11.30 am. Police had deployed barricades at several points along the border as part of heightened security arrangements. According to reports, tensions rose when protesters tried to remove the barricades and advance towards the city.
Mohali, Punjab: Nihang Jathedars attempted to march towards Chandigarh demanding the release of Sikh prisoners. During the protest, demonstrators tried to break through barricades and move forward. In view of the situation, Chandigarh Police used water cannons to disperse the… pic.twitter.com/KCQUFyCL81
— IANS (@ians_india) August 15, 2026
Police responded by firing water cannons and using tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Some protesters attempted to push through barricades placed behind tractors despite repeated appeals from the police to move back, The Indian Express reported.
The protest was organised to demand the release of Bandi Singhs and other Sikh prisoners, including those whom the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha says have spent prolonged periods in prison since the 1980s and 1990s.
The protesters were also seeking 10-day parole for Hawara, who is serving a sentence in prison for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann was also reportedly detained by Chandigarh Police while attempting to reach Punjab Raj Bhavan. Mann, who was seen with bandages on his head, had reportedly arrived at a residence near Raj Bhavan on Friday and stayed there overnight. Police sources said he was later detained after security personnel became suspicious of his movements near a barricade.
Hawara, in a video message released from prison on Friday, had appealed to participants in the proposed march to ensure that the demonstration remained peaceful and that no untoward incident occurred.
Saturday’s confrontation came a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court addressed the proposed protest and underlined the constitutional protection for peaceful assembly. At the same time, the court said authorities could intervene if demonstrations became violent or threatened public safety.
“We hope and trust that the states of Punjab and Haryana, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, shall act with due sensitivity and responsibility and ensure that no untoward incident is permitted to occur,” the bench said, reported the newspaper.
The court is scheduled to hear the matter again on August 20. The latest confrontation at the Chandigarh-Mohali border is likely to keep the demands of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha and the question of restrictions on protests under close scrutiny.
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