Punjab Govt withdraws security to Sacha Sauda Chief

Chandigarh, May 19 (UNI) The Punjab Government has withdrawn the security provided to Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who is under fire from various Sikh groups for allegedly dressing up like Guru Gobind Singh.

Addressing a press conference jointly with Chief Minister's Media Adviser H S Bains, State Director General of Police N P S Aulakh said that four PSOs provided to the dera chief by the Punjab Police during the previous Congress Government had been withdrawn in view of the fact that he had been already provided the security by the Haryana Government.

Mr Aulakh said that barring stray incidents, the law and order situation had been peaceful and under control in the state.

He said some sikh organisations took out processions and restorted to road blockades and stoppage of train at different places and submitted memoranda to authorities, but there was no report of any untoward incident.

The DGP said that para military forces had already arrived from the Centre and had been deployed in the state. He said the Government had taken adequate steps to maintain peace and communal harmony.

To a question, he clarified that the transfer of Bhatinda SP Naresh Kumar, just after the violent incident in the region, had been a ''routine affair''.

Mr Bains said that there had been no loss of life in the violence that erupted in the wake of Sacha Sauda controversy and the loss of property was minimum.

UNI