Click to play videoMumbai: The Maharashtra government is trying to defuse a tense situation in Mumbai city following the killing of one person in firing allegedly by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's bodyguard on Friday.
Forty-five-year-old Balkhar Singh was allegedly shot dead by Dera Sachcha Sauda Chief, Baba Ram Rahim Singh's bodyguard in Mumbai's Mulund area.
The Dera Chief's bodyguard allegedly opened fire when Sikhs started chanting anti-Dera slogans in a mall that Baba Ram Rahim Singh was visiting.
Balkhar Singh's wife, Darshan Kaur is yet to come to terms with her loss. Wringing her hands in despair, she asks of nobody in particular: "What will I do now? He's gone!"
The Dera Chief has been at loggerheads with the Sikh clergy for a long time now. The trouble started last year after he appeared in a newspaper advertisement dressed as the tenth Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singh - and was shown distributing amrit (holy water) to people.
The controversy died a natural death after Baba Ram Rahim issued an apology. However, angry sentiments still simmered below the surface and the firing incident on Friday triggerred an erruption of Sikh community's pent up anger.
Following Balkhar Singh's death, angry protesters from the Sikh Community took to the streets late on Friday evening. They blocked major roads including the Eastern Express Highway and even stopped trains in Mulund on Saturday.
The police retaliated with lathicharge and even had to resort to tear gassing the mob, when people refused to disperse.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) made an appeal to the community on Sunday to refrain from violence and SGPC Chief, Avtaar Singh Makkar appealed to the community to be calm and maintain peace.
It was only when Maharashtra state Home Minister, R R Patil assured the community that strict action would be taken against the accused that the protest was called off till Monday.
The State Minorities Commission has recommended judicial inquiry into the firing incident. The coming week will determine the state government's role in diffusing this standoff.
Meanwhile, the core committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal is meeting in Chandigarh on Monday. There is also going to be a Khalsa Action committee meeting on Monday afternoon.
(With inputs from Tanaya Adarkar and Deborah Grey in Mumbai)
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