Anti-Dera bandh total; life hit in Punjab, Jammu

Chandigarh, May 22: Normal life was thrown out of gear in Punjab as the state observed a complete bandh called by Sikh high priests today to protest the alleged blasphemous imitation of tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh by Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh.

Ten people, including four policemen, were injured in Ambala when Sikh activists clashed with the police who lathicharged at the demonstrators trying to take out a procession in protest against the Dera Sacha Sauda even as prohibitory orders were in force in the city.

Superintendent of Police Amitabh Dhillon was among the four policemen injured when the demonstrators led by Shiromani Akali Dal leaders pelted them with stones as the Police resorted to lathicharge near the Badshahi Bagh Gurudwara in the city.

A complete, yet peaceful, bandh was also observed in Jammu by several Sikh organisations in support of the call given by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. Normal life was paralysed in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir with all educational and business establishments remaining closed and public transport off the roads.

Describing the law and order situation in the northern state as ''serious'', BJP president Rajnath Singh in New Delhi said his party has appealed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to make arrangements to restore peace and normalcy in the state.

In Punjab, barring stray incidents, there were no reports of any untoward incident, official sources said.

Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti thanked the people of Punjab for showing ''remarkable restraint and wisdom by ensuring peace and communal harmony during the bandh''.

Elaborate security arrangements were in place to maintain peace.

Security forces were seen patrolling different areas. Heavy deployment was made in Bathinda, Moga, Muktsar and other areas in the Malwa belt which has a sizeable number of Sacha Sauda supporters.

The 'bandh' was total in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Patiala, Moga and some other districts.

Normal life was badly hit as shops and other business establishements, educational institutions remained closed and public transport remained off the roads. Attendance in offices was thin. However, essential services fucntioned normally in most parts of the state and medical shops were open. Except four DMU trains cancelled on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur section, trains were running normally in the state.

All 'Sacha Sauda' centers (deras) in Punjab, including the biggest at Salabatpura, were cordoned off as a preventive measure. The security around major historical gurdwaras particularly the Golden Temple and Takht Damdama Sahid at Talwandi Sabo, was also tightened.

A complete bandh was observed in Sirsa town of Haryana, the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda. Hundreds of devotees took out a peace march there, pleading with people to support the bandh. All shops were closed in the town and other areas of the district. There was no response to the bandh call and shops and business establishments remained open. Educational institutions and banks functioned normally.

Glass shutters of some shops were broken when a group of motorcycle-borne youths forced closure of shops in Fazilka town in Punjab. About 200 activisits of various Sikh religious organisations assembled at Gurdwara Bibi Kahan Kaur in Moga and took out a silent peace march in the town.

Sikhs took out peace processions in different parts of Jalandhar city, singing 'sabad kirtan' and distributing sweet water. A religious procession was taken out in Amritsar whereby the Sikhs thanked people for participating in the bandh.

About 25 members of 'Panthic' organisations were taken into custody by the police when they tried to stage a 'dharna' at Rampura Phul town, a report from Bathinda said.

The supplies of fruit, vegetables and milk from rural areas could not reach the major cities and towns due to the 'bandh'.

Sikhs, holding bare swords, staged protest demonstrations at many places in Jammu, including including Gurdwara Digana Ashram and Gurdwara Shri Kalgi Sahib, in the city.

Protestors also blocked traffic on the Jammu-Pathankote-Delhi National Highway (NH 1A) at several places, including Satwari Chowk, Rehari Chungi and Bikram Chowk, by burning rubber tyres on the road.

Similarly, there was no vehicular movement on Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch state highway and city routes.

Many political parties, including the BJP and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, had supported the 'bandh' call.

The Sikh community took to streets in Kanpur by tying black ribbons and staged a 'dharna' at Gumti Gurudwara, demanding the arrest of the Dera chief.

A bandh was also observed in Alwar and Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan. The bandh was called by Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee member Kesar Singh, who claimed it to be a total success.

State transport buses between Ganganagar and Punjab did not ply today and other vehicular traffic was also off the road.

UNI