Dera Sachcha Sauda followers and Sikhs clash, 18 injured

Bathinda, May 14 (UNI) At least 18 people were injured when the protest by various Sikh organisations here to oppose Dera Sachcha Sauda head for allegedly posing as Guru Gobind Singh led to a bloody clash with the Dera followers this morning.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal ordered a high-level inquiry by Zonal IG into the incidents of violence here and issued an statement asserting that the government will preserve peace, communal harmony and law and order in the state at all costs.

According to police sources, the trouble started after the Sikh bodies decided to burn the effigy of Dera Head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in protest of his alleged posing as Guru Gobind Singh while distributing 'Jam-e-Insa' to his s newly-annointed disciples at Dera Salabatpura on Saturday.

The pictures of the event, which Sikh bodies claimed was an emulation of baptisation by the 10th Guru by administering the 'Amrit', were splashed in newspaper ads in the region on Sunday.

Considering it an insult of their head, hundreds of Dera Sachcha Sauda followers, known as 'Premis' armed with batons and other weapons, reached the Circuit House Chowk and allegedly attacked the Sikh followers carrying the sticks and other weapons.

They reportedly followed the Sikh protesters till Gurdwara Haji Rattan and snatched the effigy of their Dera Head, which triggered a clash that continued for about twenty minutes. The Premies also threatened the police personnel who used water canons on them to segerate them, reports said.

At least 15 Sikhs and three Premis were injured and later admitted to civil hospital here.

After the clash, more 'Premies' came out in large numbers and blocked the traffic on the GT Road between Bathinda to Mansa while in other places, Premies equipped with stick and sharp-edged weapons went around shouting slogans against the Akai Dal-BJP alliance government.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner accompanied by SSP Dr Naresh Kumar reached the spot and tried to pacify the premies, who have however announced to to ''gather by lakhs' to continue their agitation.

Meanwhile, Sikh organisations also got together and held a meeting at Gurdwara Haji Rattan to chalk out the next course of action.

Terming the incident as ''most unfortunate'', Takhat Damdama Sahib, Jathedar Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh urged the Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti to take stern action in the matter.

The SGPC Chief Avtar Singh Makkar also condemned the incident and demanded stern action against the guilty. The SGPC had called an emergency meeting of the five Takhat at Akal Takhat, Amritsar, tomorrow and decided further course of action, he said.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner has ordered magisterial probe into the incident but police had registered no case in connection with this incident, sources here said.

UNI