Latest Breaking News from Punjab: Friday 13th July 2007

Avtar Singh, KAC chief trade charges

Amritsar, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) chief Bhai Mohkam Singh have crossed swords over seeking extension of the term of SGPC chief from the present one year to two-and-a-half years.
Both, KAC chief and SGPC president also traded charges of “siphoning of” gurdwara funds. Bhai Mohkam Singh said the SGPC must take Sikh masses and Panthic organisations into confidence before seeking the extension of the term of SGPC’s office-bearers.
While refuting the charges of Bhai Mohkam Singh that the Ratia Sikh conclave was postponed on the “directions” of the union home minister, the SGPC chief said this issue never cropped up at the meeting between SGPC delegation and the minister in New Delhi. “The delegation had simply sought acceptance of long-standing demands of the Sikhs, including handing over the rare manuscripts taken by the Army during Operation Bluestar,” he said.
The SGPC chief described Bhai Mohkam Singh a person of “dubious character” who had been “misleading” the Sikh masses for his “vested interests”. He said if the working of the SGPC was not up to the mark and there were reports of siphoning of gurdwara funds, then Bhai Mohkam Singh must tell his brother to resign as supervisor in the SGPC.
Meanwhile, Bhai Mohkam Singh and Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, a former Jathedar of Akal Takht, met Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti at his official residence here to lodge their protest for postponing the Sikh conclave at Ratia in Haryana.
They also urged Jathedar Vedanti to lead the KAC march proposed to be launched on July 15 from the residence of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale at Rode village. Though Jathedar Vedanti has assured his participation, yet sources say that he was unlikely to visit the residence of Sant Bhinderanwale to mark the beginning of the march.

‘Nandgarh has not resigned’

Amritsar, Dispelling speculations that Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh has resigned as Jathedar of Takht Nandgarh, SGPC chief Avtar Singh has said such rumours are being spread by some mischievous persons with a motive to create confusion in the Sikh Panth.
In a press note issued here today, the SGPC chief said Jathedar Nandgarh had been working for the Panth. Hence, there was no question of his stepping down as Jathedar.
Meanwhile, Jathedar Nandgarh remained inaccessible to the Sikh Sangat. His cellphone has been on the switched-off mode for the third consecutive day.

SAD (A) memo to Takht

Amritsar, Demanding strict action against the police officials who entered into a gurdwara in Talwara village, Fatehgarh Sahib, and took away books and photographs of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala, Bhai Beant Singh, Bhai Satwant Singh, Kehar Singh, Sukhdev Singh Sukha and others, the SAD (A) today presented a memorandum to Akal Takht here today.
Member of the SGPC Harcharn Singh Burjhari, along with other leaders, has urged the Jathedar of Akal Takht to immediately intervene.

CBI closes in on Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim
Sadhvis say they were raped

Sirsa: The CBI has indicated that it has enough evidence to convict Sacha Sauda dera head Gurmeet Ram Ram. One Sadhvi has said that she was raped for three years by the Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
The CBI has also procured many records of medical treatment and hospitalisation of sadhvis at the Dera hospital.
As the doomsday nears for the Dera Sacha Sauda's murder and molestation of girls-accused head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, desperate efforts have been unleashed by the Sirsa camp to ward off the imminent danger.
Even as top sources in the CBI confirmed that the federal sleuthing agency investigating the murder case is all set to submit the report on July 31 to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, new revelations have hit media headlines. It seems three sadhvis of the dera have now gone on record before the CBI alleging rape against the dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
On Thursday, the dera tried an another ace, writing a letter in the name of the people of India and claiming innocence in terms which only damn the dera head.
In its letter to the nation, written after the directive of the Akal Takht to the Sikhs to maintain integrity of the country, the Dera said that tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, had pardoned Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for cruelty shown towards the Sahibzadas and other family kin of the Guru, and the Guru did so to preserve peace and brotherhood to prevail in the society.
"Is it not disrespect of the Gurbani and the Gurus that three apologies submitted by the Dera have been disregarded?" the letter added.
It also claimed that the Dera chief can't even think of imitating the tenth Guru.
What the dera's spin masters probably could not interpret was that all said and done, they were comparing their chief to infamous Aurangzeb, not a comparison that would make the dera happy.

Dera Follower

Bathinda :Chakk Attar Singh Wala, the native village of Jaswinder , a dera follower who had burnt himself to death in Sirsa, was today fortified with heavy police deployment. Stringent checks were imposed on the movement of people.
The bhog ceremony of Jaswinder is slated to be held in the village on Friday and dera followers have announced to hold a 'naam charcha' on the occasion. As a preventive measure, the police today took about 20 dera followers into custody. Police said the arrests were made on the basis of the case registered against dera followers for attacking cops on May 15 outside Mini-Secretariat.
"Among the arrested persons are Gurcharan Mann and Ajaib , who are members of a seven-member committee of the dera," said sources. "Given yesterday's sequence of events during cremation ceremony of other dera follower in Bathinda, we had apprehensions that the persons who have been arrested today can trigger an untoward incident during the bhog ceremony," Bathinda SSP Naunihal said.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that father of Jaswinder and the dera committee moved two separate applications to the district administration for allowing the satsang during the bhog ceremony. While the Bathinda DC was not available for comments despite repeated attempts, highly-placed officials said a conditional permission was given by the DC in which "he had asked to use only deceased's house for holding the ceremony and that too in the presence of family members and close relatives only". In Bathinda, paramilitary and Punjab Police continued to hold flag marches at regular intervals throughout the day.