The Patiala administration has requested the Home Affairs Department to seek assistance from the Army to evacuate Punjab farmer Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, 43, who will end his 560-day protest atop a 400-ft BSNL tower on April 24.

Khalsa on Sunday had agreed to climb down the tower he had mounted seeking an anti-sacrilege law in October 2024. The development came hours after Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria gave his nod to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the enactment of the law.

The administration has sought Army’s help in terms of men and equipment to bring down Khalsa, given the gravity of the situation and the threat involved in coming down the tower.

Meanwhile, Samana tower morcha members are holding an akhand path near the protest site at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, with the dharna ending on the day of the bhog on Friday. A resident of Kheri Nagaiyan village in Patiala, Khalsa told The Tribune that he would wait for bhog of the akhand path to conclude and come down in the presence of people, who had been protesting in his support.