Saharanpur clash: Badal calls up Mulayam

Chandigarh, Jul 30: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday called up Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and asked the UP government to ensure security of the Sikh community, in the wake of violent clashes in Saharanpur district in that state.

Badal, according to an official statement here, also assured full support and cooperation to the former Chief Minister of UP to tackle this critical situation. He said the UP government must ensure security of the Sikh communiy living in every corner of Uttar Pradesh. Yadav also assured the Chief Minister that the UP government was fully committed to ensure the well being of every single person living in the state and added that every effort was being made to maintain peace and amity in the state, the statement said.

During the telephonic conversation, the chief minister apprised Yadav that the Sikh community living in Uttar Pradesh has contributed tremendously to the development of the state in general and that of Saharanpur district in particular. Meanwhile, a delegation of Sikhs from Saharanpur led by Gurpreet Singh Bagga called on Badal at his residence here today.

The delegation gave detailed information to Badal about the situation in Saharanpur district and sought his personal intervention for safeguarding the interest of Sikhs in that state. They also urged the chief minister to impress upon the UP government for cancellation of "false cases" against the members of Sikh community in Saharanpur.

The chief minister appealed to the people, especially the Sikh community in Saharanpur to maintain peace, amity and communal harmony at all cost in this hour of crisis, "as preached by our great gurus, seers and prophets". He also appealed to the people to exercise restraint in these circumstances by displaying the ethos of religious tolerance, unity and brotherhood.

PTI