Click to play videoChandigarh (Punjab): There's no let-up in tensions among the Akalis and supporters of the religious sect, Dera Sacha Sauda, and it's now an open war in most parts of Punjab.
Fresh violence erupted on Thursday evening and one person was killed in a clash between supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda and Sikhs.
Kamaljit Singh, a resident of Sangrur, was shot dead at Dera Sacha Sauda near Sunam when he was returning from Talwandi Sabo, where thousands of Sikhs had assembled to protest.
Sikh supporters also vandalised a Dera meeting venue at Moremandi and some properties belonging to Dera followers, also setting several vehicles on fire.
Over 25,000 Sikhs also gathered outside Salabetpura, Punjab's biggest Dera campus, and attacked the campus. The Sikh groups were reportedly armed with swords, stones, bricks and other weapons. Over 3,000 Dera followers were said to be inside the campus.
Police sources said at least five Dera campuses were attacked in Bathinda district alone.
As the situation deteriorated, the Centre intervened later on Thursday with the Union Home Ministry reviewing the situation. The Centre is in constant touch with the state government and advisories are being sent to maintain calm and vigil.
The government said it would provide all possible assistance if the state government asks for, a government spokesman said.
Earlier in the day, the heads of the five main gurdwaras, members of the Sikhs Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) and Akali Dal leaders met at Damdama Sahib in Bhatinda and asked the government to act against the Dera head if an apology is not rendered to the Akalis within 72 hours.
The ultimatum came after Dera chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim posed as Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs, and distributing amrit (holy water) to followers in an advertisement.
The advertisement enraged the Akalis, who took to the streets to raise their protests, which later turned violent.
Despite the ultimatum, SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar said there was no question of pardoning the members of the Dera Sacha Sauda.
Earlier, the spiritual leaders had agreed upon a 10-day time frame for the apology, but when they sensed the mood on the streets, they changed their decision and the 10-day deadline was reduced to a 72-hour ultimatum.
However, people like the Head of the Damdami Taksal, Harnam Singh Bhindranwale, feel that despite the ultimatum, the situation in Punjab is not going to cool down any time soon.
And it's not just southern Punjab — where the Dera sect wields significant influence — that is simmering. Tension is prevailing in almost every district of Punjab. The clashes have even spread to other parts of the country like Jammu, Indore and Delhi.
Security has been stepped up in some parts of the Capital with deployment of Rapid Action Force and additional police personnel to prevent any violence in the wake of the controversy.
The deployment of security personnel has been effected in several areas of west and south Delhi where there is a sizeable Sikh population.
The sensitive areas include Tilak Nagar, Janak Puri, Keshopur and Harinagar in west Delhi and Bhogal and Jungpura in south Delhi, police sources said.
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal government is in a fix as the Dera followers are equally adamant in not apologising and the government doesn't really want to hurt the religious sentiment on either side.
There were rumours that senior Punjab Police officers had asked the followers of the Dera sect to vacate their campuses in the Malwa region, saying they feared that Sikhs could attack these places. The Dera followers have refused to vacate the area.
Eyewitnesses however, said police remained mute spectators as Sikhs went on a rampage.
In Sirsa, a Dera spokesman said President's rule should be imposed in Punjab as the Akali Dal government had deliberately let the situation go out of control.
However, Punjab ADG Law and Order has said that though the situation is tense in Salabatpura, where supporters of both the factions have congregated, the Dera followers have not been asked to vacate their premises, a fact that has been confirmed by CM's media advisor Harcharan Singh Bains.
Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has appealed for law and order and called an emergency meeting with the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police.
(With inputs from Jyoti Kamal in Chandigarh and agencies)
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