Situation under control: Punjab CM Badal

Chandigarh, May 25 (PTI) Asserting the situation in
India's northern state of Punjab was under control, Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal Monday said the violence sparked
by the killing of a Sikh sect leader in Austria was confined
only to a few pockets in Jalandhar and neighbouring areas.

"The situation is normal. There is no violence at this
moment. Some incidents which took place today were limited to
a few pockets, mostly in Jalandhar," he told a joint press
conference with his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir
Singh Badal here in the northern centrally administered
territory.

The Chief Minister said one person was killed in a
shooting incident in Jalandhar's Lambra village while seven
were injured in violence elsewhere in the state since Sunday
night.

Strongly condemning the killing of Sant Rama Nand in
fighting between rival Sikh communities in Austrian capital
Vienna, he said his government would leave no stone unturned
in restoring calm in the state.

"We have already deployed 40 armed battalions of the
Punjab Armed Police to deal with the situation. We have also
sought 25 companies of para-military forces from the Centre,"
Badal said.

"Army has been asked to stand by and will be called out
whenever required. Army has conducted flag marches in parts of
Jalandhar to instill a sense of confidence among people," he
said.

Badal said his government would recommend to the Election
Commission to defer the Nurmahal assembly by-election slated
for May 28 as the segment falls in trouble-torn Jalandhar.

The concerned Deputy Commissioner had also recommended to
the state government that holding of the election at this
stage was not feasible, the Chief Minister said.

He said both he and his Deputy spoke to External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna today and requested him to take up the
matter with his counterpart in Austria.

Badal said Sant Surinder Dass, a close associate of Guru
Rama Nand, had appealed to people to maintain peace in the
state.

"Peace and communal harmony in Punjab will be maintained
and no one will be allowed to take law in his own own hands,"
he said.

The Chief Minister said he had convened an all-party
meeting here Tuesday in the light of Monday's incidents. PTI
SUN