People from the community staged demonstration outside a Gurudwara in Gurubag area demanding immediate apology from the Dera chief for the 'blasphemous act.'
Demonstration in Varanasi
VARANASI: Ire of the Sikh community against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh donning the attire of tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh on Thursday spilled over to this holy city.
People from the community staged demonstration outside a Gurudwara in Gurubag area demanding immediate apology from the Dera chief for the 'blasphemous act.'
They also threatened to intensify protest if the Dera chief failed to tender an unconditional apology shortly.
Similar protests were reported from other parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Kanpur, Meerut, Saharanpur and Pilibhit on Wednesday.
Trouble had started in Bhatinda (Punjab) on Monday after a controversial advertisement appeared in some newspapers, showing Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh alias Premiji dressed up like Guru Gobind Singh.
Sikh organisations including SGPC had described it as a 'blasphemous act'.
In the Civil Lines area outside Amritsar's walled city, a few shopkeepers observed the bandh as a precautionary measure.
Amritsar's police chief Kanwar Vijay Partap Singh said the situation in the city was fully under control and no untoward incidents had occurred anywhere.
A complete bandh was observed in neighbouring Tarn Taran district and situation there was described as tense. A large police force was deployed there from early in the morning.
The bandh in these places was called to protest against an attack on Sikhs in Bathinda by Dera followers. A report from Sirsa said the Dera head had convened a meeting of senior functionaries to decide on the group's future course of action. Dera activists were awaiting the outcome of the meeting at Talwandi Sabo in Punjab, Dera sources.
Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had earlier denied having shown any disrespect to the Sikh Guru and said he had only worn a dress given to him by a follower.
No 'amrit' (nectar) was distributed among Dera followers as alleged by some people, Singh said, adding that only milk mixed with Rooh Afza was distributed as "roohmait ka jaam" and there was no question of apologising for this act.
SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar told reporters at Talwandi Sabo before the meeting that the community had left the issue to the Sikh high priests as it was a sensitive
matter. He demanded tough action against the Dera head.
Security personnel staged a flag march in various sectors of Chandigarh to instill confidence among residents in view of the tension prevailing in the two states of which the Union Territory is the joint capital.
Complaint against Dera head in Indore
INDORE: A complaint against the Dera Sachcha Souda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was filed here on Thursday for allegedly disrespecting Sikh religion and creating public nuisance.
The complaint was filed in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Shubra Singh by a lawyer Inderjeet Singh Bhatia.
The complainant alleged that Dera head has disrespected the Sikh religion and created public nuisance and, therefore, action should be taken against him.
The complaint was accepted for consideration and the court has fixed May 19 as the next date of hearing.
Sikh protests against Dera chief in Jammu
JAMMU: Sikh protesters here on Thursday demanded the arrest of Sant Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh and burnt him in an effigy to protest the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's alleged "imitation" of Guru Gobind Singh.
About 150 protesters, who had come from different parts of city, sat on a dharna at Rani Bagh area close to Jammu airport this morning and later burnt Dera Sacha Sauda
chief in an effigy, police said.
The protesters were agitating against the reports that Dera chief Sant Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh had shown up dressed like 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh at a public function at Dera Salabatpura in Bathinda in Punjab, they said.
They also raised slogans against Dera chief and after an hour long protest dispersed.
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