Akal Takht rejects Dera regret, calls Punjab bandh tomorrow

Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti told a large gathering of Sikhs that peaceful processions should be taken out on May 22. The priests also asked the Punjab government to ensure that all Deras in the state are closed by May 27. The hukamnama said Sikhs would present a memorandum to the Governors of Punjab and Haryana after taking out a protest march from Fatehgarh Sahib on May 31.

The meeting also decided to submit a memorandum to President, Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and Central officials by May 30 for expediting the CBI probe against the Dera chief in connection with cases of murder and alleged sexual exploitation of women at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. Vedanti said the future course of action would be reviewed on May 31.

Earlier, Sikhs began gathering at the Takht premises as early as 9 am and heads of various organisations met the Takht jathedars, demanding “severe action” against the Dera chief. Swords were waved menacingly and even pro-Khalistan slogans were raised.

The crowd even attacked a Punjab Police Sub-Inspector, Lakhbir Singh, who was in plainclothes and on duty inside the Golden Temple complex. His service revolver apparently fell and the crowd mistook him to be a trouble-maker.

Meanwhile, the Bathinda police filed a case against the Dera chief under Section 295-A for outraging religious sentiments. The case was filed on the basis of an inquiry report by Patiala Zone Inspector General M K Tiwari and a complaint made by Rajinder Singh Sidhu, chief of Khalsa Diwan Gurdwara Singh Sabha.

If found guilty, the Dera chief could be sentenced to a jail term of upto three years or fined, or both.

In his report, IG Tiwari blamed the controversial Dera advertisement for triggering the violence in Bathinda. The report, while criticising the police for not handling the situation properly, is silent on the role of the district administration. “My job was to see what triggered the clashes, what the role of the police was in the whole episode. I did not touch any administrative aspect in the inquiry,” Tiwari said.

Won’t vacate premises, says Dera official

SIRSA: Dera Sacha Sauda’s senior vice-chairman Prithviraj told a gathering of followers in Sirsa “the question of vacating the deras does not arise at all” and that it would protest against the hukamnama of the Sikh high priests. “Under the Constitution, deras cannot be closed,” he said, adding the group was not immediately thinking about taking any legal recourse.

PTI