Around 5,000 Sikhs, who headed towards the local premises of religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda, were stopped three km away and dispersed from here on Thursday night.
SALABATPUR: Around 5,000 Sikhs, who headed towards the local premises of religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda, were stopped three km away and dispersed from here on Thursday night, averting the possibility of major outbreak of sectarian clash.
The Sikhs, representing various organisations, including Damdami Taksal and SAD (Mann), marched to the village after the meeting of five High Sikh priests at Talwandi Sabo which gave a call for social boycott of the Dera and its followers, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rural Amarjit Singh said.
Punjab Police, which deployed 2,000 of its personnel in the area, stopped the Sikhs three kms before the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda so that they did not come face to face with a large number of activists, estimated to be around 35,000, of the Dera who were inside the large premises.
The situation became tense after the Sikhs gave a two-hour ultimatum late in the evening for the vacation of the Dera.
Dera's Political Head Gurbaz Singh told PTI that they were prepared to face any kind of challenges inside and outside the Dera from the Sikhs. "At Baba's (Dera Head) asking we can go to any extent," he added.
The Sikhs started dispersing after it was announced that a committee had been formed to chalk out the course of action.
Police said the 2,000 police personnel would remain deployed in the village for the night as a precautionary measure.
Sikh leaders present near the Dera included Damdami Taksal Chief Bhai Harnam Singh Dhooma, former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, Daljit Singh Bittu (SAD Mann), Baba Viler Singh, Baba Buta Gursari and Bhai Lakhbir Singh.
Punjab Police sources said their Haryana counterparts have sealed the state's border at Dabwali to prevent Dera supporters from entering the state.
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