Click to play videoChandigarh: Followers of one of the biggest religious sects in North India – the Dera Sacha Sauda headquartered in Sirsa, Haryana clashed with Akalis in Punjab.
The clash erupted after advertisements appeared in a section of the media portraying Baba Ram Raheem, head of the Dera Sacha Sauda as Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru.
This portrayal incensed the Akali followers who also happen to represent the party in power in Punjab.
The first clashes took place at Bathinda on Monday and later the tension spread to Ludhiana, Mansa, Patiala and Amritsar with tension brewing in other Punjab cities too.
Angry Akalis burnt effigies and the mob fury continued despite Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's appeals.
“These are the kind of things that can explode a situation for no reason. That’s why I appeal to all to maintain peace,” Badal said.
But it seems it will take more than the CM's pleas to calm down tempers. The Dera has huge support in south Punjab, where Bathinda falls, and the sect has been a sore point with the Akalis since the Assembly elections.
During the elections, Dera supported the Congress in the Malwa region, which led the Congress to perform beyond expectations in the Akali stronghold.
Meanwhile, the state Congress wants a probe to figure out the underlying motives of the violence.
“There could be a plot behind this whole incident. The government needs to look into it,” senior Congress leader, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said.
Though, the clergy has asked the faithful to stop all violence, sections of the Sikh community are demanding action against the Dera head.
Punjab continues to remain tense as the Akali and Dera followers reach a deadlock. The immediate provocation is known but the question everyone is asking is are things really that simple? But the task at hand for the government is to control the situation now before it snowballs into a nightmare for Punjab.
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