He claimed the situation in the state was well under control and appealed to all political parties and religious organisations to maintain peace and tranquillity.
CHANDIGARH: Terming as "big provocation" the newspaper advertisement of Dera Sacha Sauda head, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said denigration of Sikh Gurus by anybody was not acceptable to the people.
He claimed the situation in the state was well under control and appealed to all political parties and religious organisations to maintain peace and tranquillity.
"It's a big provocation (Dera Sacha Sauda's head purported appearance in the attire of 10th Sikh Guru in an advertisement in some newspapers)... everything is acceptable, but the denigration of the Gurus of Sikhs by anybody is unacceptable to the people of the community as also to members of other religions and faiths," he said.
He was talking to reporters here after chairing a Political Affairs Committee meeting of the Shiromani Akali Dal in the wake of clashes between followers of the Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Sikhs.
Flanked by other key party leaders, including MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur and Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, the chief minister said, "What has happened in the past few days is very unfortunate and sad."
"With such a big provocation, anything bigger could have happened ... but there were only few incidents of violence," he said.
Badal asked the media to exercise "restraint" in reporting the incidents.
Badal said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured him of all support and paramilitary forces despatched by the Centre had already been deployed in sensitive areas.
"All 50 companies of paramilitary forces have reached the state and have been deployed in sensitive places, including around Deras. We are keeping a strict vigil and monitoring the situation," he said.
The chief minister said all Deputy Commissioners in the state had been asked to convene meetings of all political parties and religious organisations to maintain calm.
Badal claimed that despite the clashes, the situation was under control in the state and blamed the media for the "wrong projection".
"What is happening is very feeble, but it is being projected wrongly (by the media). The entire situation in the state is well under control ... including at the border between Punjab and Haryana. Maintaining peace and tranquility is the first duty of the government," he said.
Badal said his party workers had been ordered to maintain peace.
"All workers within the Akali Dal have been directed to maintain law and order," he said.
About the on-going protests in the state, he said, "All peaceful protests are acceptable in a democracy."
He also asked his Haryana counterpart Bhupinder Singh Hooda to "control" the situation in his state.
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