Ludhiana, December 05: Even before it could get back to normal after yesterday’s violence by labourers, Ludhiana is on boil again on Saturday, but this time because of tensions between two Sikh groups.
Hard-line Sikhs groups, up in arms against government’s decision to allow Austhosh Maharaj of Dera Noormahal conduct satsang (religious discourse) in the city, clashed with the police and some Dera followers today.
The protestors -numbering 700-800 & wielding swords – were trying to force their way tto the satsang venue located on the main highway to Chandigarh, when the police stopped them, following which they attacked the police force and tried to break through the barricades.
Unable to control the situation, the police tried using tear gas shells to disperse the infuriated mob of Sikhs; failing, the Police fired in the air.
Curfew was later imposed in four police station areas as a precautionary measure in view of the tension building up in the wake of the clash that left one dead and 15 others, including three policemen, injured.
Patrolling by security forces has been increased to instill a sense of confidence among the residents, the spokesman said.
The policemen, including Deputy Superintendent of Patran in Patiala district Sukhdev Singh, sustained injuries in the clash in which police used batons and teargas to quell the protestors.
The DSP was injured when he was stabbed by a ‘kirpan’. Some of the Sikhs were seen wielding swords and kirpans at the protest march, a police spokesman said.
At least 10 vehicles, including of the police, were also damaged by the protesters.
Earlier, radical Sikhs had warned Ashutosh Maharaj against conducting satsang in the city, as they feel that his teaching go against tenets of Sikhism and degrades the Gurus. But the Dera went ahead with its plans and thousands of followers converged at the venue today morning, infuriating the conservative Sikhs.
Ashutosh Maharaj’s Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan in Noormahal is one of the most popular Deras and has, reportedly, more than 25 lakh followers in the country and abroad
Ashutosh has, for some time, facing the ire of the Sikh community. But he has been consentingly denying that he ever tried to degrade the Sikh religion. His followers say that it was preposterous to question Ashutosh’s activities as a vast majority of Ashutosh’s followers were the Sikhs, who, would not allow any tampering with the Guru Granth Sahib “bani”.
—-Agencies