Chandigarh: It's been over a week now since a court in Bathinda issued an arrest warrant against Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, for hurting Sikh sentiments.
However, much to the anger of the Sikh bodies, which rejected yet another apology by the Dera chief on Wednesday, the baba is still a free man.
The Akali Dal government in Punjab, it appears, is unwilling to rush into a decision. With memories of last month's flare-up still fresh, it is playing safe for the moment.
Says Leader, Punjab BJP, Manjit Singh Kaliya, "The law will take its own course, we will not compromise the peace and harmony in the state."
The Opposition, however, sees the government's hand in the entire controversy.
Says Opposition leader, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, " It's all happening with the
allegiance of the government."
The Akali-BJP combine meanwhile is trying to put blame on the Congress. Many in the ruling party feel that since the Dera is headquartered in Haryana, the final call to arrest the Dera chief will have to be made by the Congress government in Haryana.
The proposed rally of the Akalis being organised in Haryana has to be seen in this light. It's a move clearly aimed at shifting the political battle out of Punjab to a state ruled by the Congress.
The Akal Takht and the various sects in Punjab have a history of bitter conflict, but with politicians now trying to fish in troubled waters, the divide in the society is only growing wider.
This monsoon season in Punjab, there are few taker for the politics of reconciliation.
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