Latest Breaking News from Punjab:Sunday 15th July 2007

Security up as dera chief holds meeting

The Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh addressed a gathering inside Dera Maujpur Dham at Budhranwali village in neighbouring Sadulshehar subdivision of Sriganganagar district today and last evening. He had arrived yesterday in a cavalcade of more than 100 vehicles. Senior civil and police officials escorted it as it entered from the Haryana border.
Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar SPs had a meeting with the dera chief to pursue him for cancelling the satsang on Sunday but he refused. Most of the members of the supreme committee of the dera were accompanying him.

Boycott of ‘premis’ unacceptable: Cong

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Shamsher Singh Dullo has announced that the "gurmata" (the holy resolution) of Sikh clergy, calling for a boycott of followers of Dera Sacha Sauda was "unacceptable" to the Congress, saying that they (Congress leaders) would continue to meet "premis" (followers of Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh).
Talking to mediapersons here today, Dullo alleged that the Sikh high priests had been working at the behest of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and hence the edicts or directives being pronounced by jathedars had lost sanctity.
Dullo refused to come forward for mediation between Dera Sacha Sauda and Sikhs. He, however, said his party would cooperate with the ruling SAD/BJP in resolving the impasse.

‘Cong to blame’

SGPC chief Avtar Singh said Dullo, being a ‘patit’ Sikh, had no right to comment on the Sikh institutions. He alleged that the Congress was responsible for the ongoing dera row.

Sirsa team meets Vedanti

Efforts to resolve the Dera Sacha Sauda-Sikh row received a major boost when a 25-member delegation “Shanti Samiti, Sirsa” today met Jathedar Akal Takht urging him to resolve the issue as early as possible in a peaceful manner.
The delegation included doctors, journalists, advocates, businessmen and leaders of various social and political organisations from Sirsa.
Talking to newspersons, leader of the delegation Jagdish Raj Chopra said they had come here not only with the signatures but also with the emotions and sentiments of one lakh people of his district to appeal Jathedar of Akal Takht Joginder Singh Vedanti to find a peaceful solution to the dera row. He said the people of Sirsa also condemned the alleged blasphemous act of the dera chief Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and wanted that normalcy should return to the two states.
Chopra said they had also met the dera chief two days ago and had received a positive response from him in resolving the dera row. He claimed that the dera chief was also ready to take steps to resolve the issue, including sending a fresh apology.
The dera followers ended their 25-day chain fast on the instructions of the dera chief.

Dera chief trying to corrupt atmosphere

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar said the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was trying to vitiate the atmosphere by hold a 'Naam Charha' in Sri Ganganager, Rajasthan, tomorrow.
Speaking to mediapersons on the premises of Mata Gujri College, Makkar said the Rajasthan government should thwart the move of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh so that law and order was maintained.
Makkar said nothing could be done to resolve the dera row till the chief apologised in real sense. Playing down the claims made by former Akal Takht jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh that the SGPC and the KAC did nothing to resolve the row, Makkar stated that Bhai Ranjit Singh had himself done nothing in this direction and had no moral right to issue such statements.
Reacting to a question, Makkar said religious birs could only be given to those who have faith in the Guru Granth Sahib and not to those who have faith in dera leaders.
Defending the move of the Akal Takht to call off the Ratia conclave in Haryana, Makkar said the decision had been taken to avoid any confrontation.