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Journalism of Courage
PHAGWARA, MARCH 4: Shiv Sena activists on Saturday attacked the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation’s Lahore-Delhi-Lahore bus near here with stones, to protest against the aiding and abetting of transborder terrorism by Islamabad.
About 70 Shiv Sainiks, led by Punjab unit president Surinder Dogra and reportedly including his three police guards, stopped the Lahore-bound bus at Chachrari village, 6 km from here on the G.T. road, around 11.50 in the morning. The bus was as usual being escorted by a security car. Shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and protesting against Friday’s bomb blast on a Delhi-bound bus, they pelted stones at the bus, breaking one its windowpanes. Luckily, the 34 passengers, including 22 Pakistanis, escaped unhurt.
The activists also burnt an effigy of Pakistan’s military ruler General Pervez Musharaf and made a bonfire of the Pakistani flag. According to an eyewitness, the bus driver minimised the damage by speeding away from the site as the police and Sena activists were arguing with each other. A large police force led by DSP Pritam Singh rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. The bus was first brought to Phagwara and then carried on to Lahore after an hour’s delay.
The police have arrested six people, including Dogra and his three security guards, all police constables, in connection with the attack.
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement later declaring that the Government would continue with the bus service and “will provide necessary security to the bus and its passengers”. The Delhi-Lahore-Delhi bus has become a valued transport link between India and Pakistan and symbolises India’s endeavour to promote people-to-people contact between the two countries, the statement said. The service was started shortly after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s bus ride to Pakistan on February 20 last year.
The Sena has been threatening to stop the service for some time. And party secretary Pawan Prabhakar asserted to UNI today: “They (Pakistan) are trying to destabilise us. We (the Shiv Sena) will launch a state-wide agitation if the bus and train service is not cancelled.”
Isfaq Khan, liaison officer on the bus, said of the 34 passengers aboard today’s bus, 22 were Pakistanis, 11 Indians and one Britisher.
Dogra, who came to Phagwara last evening, is believed to be the brain behind the attack, Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Yadav told PTI. Besides Dogra, others arrested were Rajesh Kumar and Dheeraj Karwal of Phagwara, and Constables Iqbal Singh, Manohar Lal and Ajit Singh, all security guards of Dogra.
Delhi Transport Minister Parvez Hashmi, whose department operates the Indian end of the bus service, condemned the attack and asserted that security would be stepped up. Asked if the bus service would be halted, Hashmi said it was up to the Centre to take a decision on the matter. “But we want to continue operating the service,” he told UNI.
