Several injured in clash between Sikh protestors, Punjab Police

12 cops, including Bathinda inspector general of police Jitendra Jain, got injured in the clash.

Amritsar: The supreme temporal body of Sikhs Akal Takht on Wednesday condemned the killing of two youth during the clash between Sikh protesters and police over alleged desecration of a holy book.

The bandh will be observed in Faridkot, Moga, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Bathinda and Barnala.

Following Wednesday's violence, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the evening ordered the inquiry by a high court judge to probe the desecration and the incidents of violence in its aftermath.

The Chief Minister cautioned anti-social elements to desist from their nefarious designs to divide society on sectarian lines.

Asserting that the situation in Punjab was "going from bad to worse", Amarinder said Badal should quit if he was not able to maintain law and order in the state.

The clash erupted in the main square of Kotkapura when police tried to arrest the leaders of the protestors.

Sources said the police resorted to lathi-charge and water canons to disperse the protesters in Behbalkalan village in Kotkapura area.

According to reports reaching Nagpur Today, villagers in Khurd Jawahar in Faridkot blocked traffic in Kotakpura on Monday evening after finding four torn pages of Guru Granth Sahib in the village.

On Tuesday following mounting tension, police had arrested around 200 men, but they were later released.

A few places in Faridkot and its adjacent Moga have been tense for a few days after the alleged sacrilege took place. "A large number of paramilitary forces were also present, however no body had thought that force would be used to disperse the protesters", said another protester Jagwinder Singh who had come from Fatehgarh Sahib. "But no action was taken against the accused".

Dhuma said the "bandh" was called to pressure the government.