Tension mounted in Punjab as Sikh radicals intensified their protest against Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, a religious sect headquartered in Jalandhar district. Like Dera Sacha Sauda, the Sansthan also takes a cue from the teachings of Sikh gurus and “distorts” Sikh tenets. Ten BSF and CRPF companies have been deployed in the state, besides 12 companies of police commandos, in view of the tension.
On Sunday, five Sikh radical organisations held a dharna in curfew-bound Ludhiana after Darshan Singh, a member of the leading radical organisation Damdami Taksal who was killed in police firing on Saturday, was cremated. Curfew was clamped in the industrial city after violent clashes on Friday and Saturday.
More than 500 radicals were protesting a two-day congregation organised by Sansthan chief Swami Ashutosh when police resorted to firing.
The Sikh radicals havecalled for a state-wide bandh on Monday and summoned a meeting of representatives of various radical organisations at Chowk Mehta in Amritsar district on December 12 to decide future course of action.
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