Violence spreads to other parts in Punjab
Satinder Bains | Chandigarh
Dera followers go on rampage in Bathinda
The clashes between the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda of Sirsa and Sikh organisations, that began in Bathinda on Monday, spread to other parts of the State on Tuesday, even as violent mobs burnt one car and damaged over a dozen vehicles, including an ambulance in Bathinda.
At least 30 persons, including two Punjab Police SIs, were injured in Bathinda, where over 10,000 followers of Dera Sacha Sauda attacked the police forcing them to run for shelter. The police had to fire in the air and throw tear gas shells in self-defence. The situation is still volatile as Dera followers called ‘premis’ are not ready to give up till their demands are met.
The police have sealed all incoming roads to prevent entry of members of Sikh organisations into the city, to avert any major clash. Two photographers covering the protests were also injured in stone-pelting by Dera followers.
Reports of protests and burning of effigies are coming from all over the State, but the situation is still tense in Patiala and Amritsar. One person was injured in Patiala when members of Dera attacked Sikhs trying to burn an effigy near the bus stand. Later Sikh activists forced all markets in the city to close down. Police force has been deployed in large numbers, police officials said.
In Amritsar, members of the Damdami Taksal once headed by radical Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala held a protest march with naked swords and burnt the effigy of the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh. The also served an ultimatum for the arrest of Baba.
Reports of protests were also received from Ludhiana, Jalndhar and Fatehgarh Sahib. The protests may take an ugly turn if the State Government fails to contain the violence.
It is learnt that Punjab Chief Minister and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal has asked the police and partymen to use restraint and not to react to protesting Dera activists.
Punjab Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order Chander Shekhar said that followers of Dera Sacha Sauda had dispersed by evening and things were returning to normal. He however said that the next two three days were crucial. He added that the number of Sect followers was very large in Bathinda, but the situation had been controlled due to the restraint shown by the police.
Meanwhile, accusing the Dera Sacha Saudha chief of playing with Sikh sentiments, the Dal Khalsa has asked the Punjab Chief Minister to rein in his activities, lest it could spell disaster for the State. Party spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh said that the Congress was patronising the sect in the same manner as it did in the case of the Nirankaris in the mid-70s. He said the activities of Dera chief were provocative and had hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. He said it reminded him of the violence in 1978 when Nirankaris under the patronage of the Congress had created problems for the Akalis. Incidentally at that time also Parkash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister.
He accused Badal of adopting dilly-dallying tactics, while dealing with such elements that were responsible for making mockery of the Sikh ethos and principles. He said the Congress Government at the Centre was manoeuvring the CBI to save Baba from its clutches in a murder case.
The organisation lambasted the State administration for preventing the Sikhs from lodging their protest democratically against the sect’s blasphemous acts. He said an advertisement issued by the Dera chief published in a Punjabi paper was highly derogatory.
Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, however in a press statement denied that he had tried to copy Sikh Gurus in any way. He said that was his aim to bring peace and brotherhood in the world. The Sikhs are objecting to Dera chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim portraying himself in the attire of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and inserting advertisements in newspapers saying that he would give nectar to his disciples.
Takht callsSikh conclave
PNS | Amritsar: The five Sikh high priests who held an emergency meeting at Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs here on Tuesday have condemned the blasphemous advertisement issued by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief and called a Sikh conclave at Takht Damdama Sahib near Bathinda on May 17, to decide the further course of action.
Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht, said that all Sikh religious organisations and Nihang groups would participate in the meeting to chalk out the next course of action. He said that the Sikh priests had condemned the violence by the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda.
The Sikh high priests sought arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda head Sant Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh for showing up in advertisement dressed like the 10th Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh.
Again, utterly irrelevant to the point I am making, as you know.
BTW, how come I never see you and your India Lobby friends post on any threads other than to post articles glorifyiing India? Don’t you care about any ohter issues?