Punjab Police using tear gas and water cannons against Sikhs
MANSA, PUNJAB - A stay in place curfew continued for the second day today in southern Punjabi town of Bhikhi town where police went on rampage firing tear gas, and lathi charging innocent Sikhs attending a religious function organized by the local sangat. Dozens of Sikhs were injured and arrested in the last two days.
The police also did not allow Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann to enter in Mansa district who had gone there to meet the Sikh victims of police lathi-charge on Monday. In protest, Mann sat on dharna near village Cheema on Mansa-Chandigarh road. He alleged that Punjab government was encouraging various deras and cults like the Dera Sauda Sirsa (DSS) cult to weaken the Sikh community.
Click to view video of Police attacking Sikhs
It is clear that the Punjab Government, run by Akali Dal Badal, has again, come up openly in support of DSS cult, as the Punjab police yesterday arrested Sikh preacher Baba Baljeet Singh Daduwal and prevented him from addressing a Gurmat Samagam at Bhikhi town of Mansa district.
Baba Dadulwal was arrested by police from Gurudwara Jandsar, Bathinda. Police claims that it was a preventive measure, forced by repeated complaints of DSS cult followers.
Before this incident, DSS cult followers had damaged the electricity line of Bhikhi Town in order to prevent Sikhs from holding the religious gathering.
It is worth mentioning that Gurmeet Ram Raheem, head of DSS is accused of blasphemy, who attempted to personify himself as tenth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Personification of Sikh Gurus is strictly prohibited in Sikhism.
Police yesterday resorted to cane-charge on Sikhs, damaged their vehicles, and arrested many of them after clamping curfew in the town.
According to police, Baljit Singh Daduwal alongwith 14 other persons was arrested under section 107/51 of IPC and sent to judicial custody in Ferozepur jail for 14 days.
The police has registered cases of attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and hurting religious sentiments and under arms act against 61 Sikhs and 57 of them have been arrested. The duty magistrate sent 48 persons to Bathinda jail.
The violence started when supporters of Sant Daduwal came on streets demanding release of another Sikh preacher who was arrested on Sunday while going to attend a congregation in local Gurdwara being held in connection with birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.
The police had banned the congregation of Sant Daduwal when followers of the DSS cult had expressed apprehension before the police suspecting that he would speak against dera chief Gurmit Ram Rahim.
Press Reports courtesy of : Sikh Siyasat News, Punjab News Line, and Khalsa Press.
