Sacha Sauda followers clash with police, 12 hurt

Bathinda, May 15: Twelve people were injured, two of them seriously, as irate followers of Dera Sacha Sauda today clashed with police and attacked the local Circuit House and the Deputy Commisioner's residence.

The Dera 'Premis' (followers) were protesting against burning of effigies of their religious head by various Sikh organisations yesterday that had led to a clash in the city, injuring 18 people.

Among those injured today were five policemen, two Sub Inspectors and three Head Constables, and seven 'premis', including two women. Head Constable Kesar Singh and Dera follower Pradeep Kumar were seriously injured.

Thousands of stick-wielding 'Premis', who were sitting on a dharna outside the Circuit House, attacked the deployed policemen and pelted them with stones even as a meeting of police and civil officials was on in a nearby building.

They also set afire a police vehicle, a hospital ambulance, the official vehicle of the SP (City) and damaged several other private vehicles parked in the area.

Police later used teargas to disperse the 'Premis' who also made an announcement warning the media people that there cameras would be snatched and broken. The 'premis' later attacked the Deputy Commisioner's residence and indulged in stone-throwing. A gunmen of the DC fired three rounds in the air to disperse them.

The protesters also clashed with the police deployed at the Government Rajendra College here.

A meeting of police and civil officials was on with a five-member committee of Sacha Sauda representatives when 'premis' were clashing with the police.

The Sacha Sauda followers were demanding action against those who burnt the effigies of their guru and a public condemnation of the act by the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, panic gripped the city and a curfew like situation prevailed as most of the shopkeepers downed their shutters in the major markets of the city.

The trouble started yesterday after the Sikh bodies decided to burn the effigy of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to protest his alleged posing as Guru Gobind Singh while distributing 'Jam-e-Insa' to his 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.

UNI