Dera Sacha Sauda follower attempts immolation

Sirsa, July 2: A Dera Sacha Sauda follower today attempted self-immolation by setting himself afire in protest against the case filed by the Punjab Police against the Dera chief.

Jaswinder Singh, hailing from Bathinda district of Punjab, set himself afire outside the Deputy Commissioner's office where 25 Dera followers were sitting on a ''fast-unto-death.'' He raised slogans against the Parkash Singh Badal government in Punjab and demanded its dismissal for acting against Dera chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh.

Jaswinder, who suffered 70 per cent burn injuries, was taken to a local hospital. He was later shifted to PGI, Rohtak.

The Dera folowers sat on a ''fast-unto-death'' last week after the Punjab government granted approval to the state police to arrest the Dera chief in a case registered against him for hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs by allegedly imitating Guru Gobind Singh.

The demonstrators were demanding dismissal of the Badal government and withdrawal of cases against the Dera chief and Sacha Sauda follwers.

UNI

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