Dera-Sikh firing: NCM appeals to maintain peace

New Delhi, Jun 22: With the Sikh anger over the Mumbai firing involving a Dera Sacha Sauda group spreading across the country, the National Commission for Minorities on Saturday, June 21 came out in appeal to the community to maintain peace, and said it would soon visit Mumbai to ascertain the facts and meet the victims.

The Commission also urged the Maharashtra Government to take all steps to bring the guilty to book. Protests against the violent action by bodyguards of Dera Sachcha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim are also coming in from Sikhs abroad. Chairperson of the NCM Harcharan Singh Josh advised the community not to take to violence and make all possible efforts to see that peace prevailed in the country.

He said the firing was unfortunate, and a team of the Commission would soon go to Mumbai to get first hand information about the incident.

One person had been killed when the security guard of the controversial spiritual leader of the Dera Sachcha Sauda sect, fired at protestors, shouting slogans against him at Mulund in Northeast Mumbai yesterday.

Ram Rahim had come to Mulund to attend a programme at the Nirmal Lifestyle mall at 1930 hrs, when some people, protesting his visit, started ranting slogans.

Majority of the demonstrators were from the Sikh community, who blocked the entire stretch of the LBS road in the area.

Police have arrested four people and detained eleven others in connection with last night's incident.

UNI