Prakash Singh Badal asks people to be calm

Amritsar, May 27 (ANI): Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has appealed to the people not to allow miscreants to disturb peace in the state.

"I appeal to the people of Punjab that these miscreants are enemies of the country as well as enemies of Punjab. After a lot of difficulty, peace and prosperity returned to Punjab and they want to disturb that. We should not let them fulfill their vested interests," Badal said.

Punjab was engulfed in a spate of violent protests over the killing of a Sikh preacher in Austria.

Thousands of Dalits torched trains, cars and shops on Monday to protest against the murder of a leader of a religious sect in an attack on a temple in Vienna, prompting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to appeal for calm.

The preacher who died was from the Dera Sach Khand, which has a large Dalit following among lower caste Sikhs and Hindus in India.

At least 16 persons were hurt in the violence in Vienna on Sunday when six armed men attacked two preachers visiting from India during a temple ceremony.

Austrian police said they did not know yet about the motives for the attack.

Sikhism officially rejects caste but social hierarchies still prevail. Dera Sach Khand has gained many followers from the Dalit community in Punjab and is opposed by many mainstream Sikhs. (ANI)