Punjab bandh complete, normal life hit

Chandigarh, May 22 (UNI) The Punjab bandh called by the Akal Takht today to protest the alleged blasphemous act of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh, posing as Guru Gobind Singh, was complete and peaceful so far.

Barring stray incidents, there were no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere in the state so far, official sources said.

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.

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.

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.

Glass shutters of some shops were broken when a group of motorcycle-borne youths forced closure of shops in Fazilka town.

They attacked a liquor shop and broke few liquor bottles.

About 200 followers and activisits of various Sikh religious organisations assembled at Gurdwara Bibi Kahan Kaur in Moga and later took out a silent peace march in the town. They staged a 'dharna' at the railway station, but when a train arrived they lifted the blockade.

Sikhs took out peace processions in different parts of Jalandhar city, singing 'sabad kirtan' and distributing sweet water. However, some sikh activists burnt in effigy Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and shouted slogans like 'Raj Karega Khalsa' near Central Town Gurudwara there.

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. Among them was the head of a gurdwara in Rampra Phul.

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