Latest Breaking News from Punjab:Wednesday 4th July 2007

Copies of two dailies burnt

Moga, Activists of about six Sikh organisations burnt the copies of two vernacular dailies today for allegedly publishing exaggerated news.
They were protesting against the controversial news which appeared in a Hindi and a Punjabi daily with regard to a July 1 incident in which windows of a vehicle carrying Dera Sacha Sauda followers were allegedly smashed by some Sikh activists at a railway crossing at Dagru village.
The Sadar police station, under which the area falls, registered the case against unidentified persons late in the night on the day of the incident.
Activists of the Gurmat Parchar Committee, SAD (A), Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj, Sikh Students Federation (Mehta) and (Grewal) groups participated in the protest.
Gurpritam Singh Cheema of the Gurmat Parchar Committee in a memorandum to the deputy commissioner stated that whenever the state committee of Dera Sacha Sauda came here a controversy got created.

Raid on gurdwaraSAD(A) demands action against SHO

Fatehgarh Sahib, The seizure of some religious books by the district police from the library of a gurdwara at Talwara village has kicked off a controversy here. The SAD(A) is now demanding registration of a case against the SHO under whose supervision the raid was conducted.
Activists of the SAD(A), who held a protest here today, submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, seeking registration of case under Section 295-A of the IPC against the SHO of Fatehgarh Sahib police station Darshan Singh.
Speaking to mediapersons, senior leaders of the SAD (A) Emann Singh Mann and Bhai Mandhir Singh Kang, along with members of the SGPC Ravinder Singh Khalsa and Bibi Surinder Kaur, alleged that apart from religious books related to Guru Granth Sahib, some books related to Operation Bluestar, Damdami Taksal, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and some pictures were seized by the police. They said the action violated the rules as none of the books kept in the library had been banned either by the Punjab government.
The SAD(A) activists stated that the SHO, along with a police party, forcibly entered the gurdwara last evening and took away several books and pictures. They maintained that around 10 policemen came to village yesterday, after which several police parties arrived there and remained stationed in the village all through the day. Around 5.30 pm the SHO came and searched the library, the SAD (A) leaders alleged.

SGPC to take dera issue to Centre

Fatehgarh Sahib: A SHIROMANI Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee delegation would meet Union Home Minister on July 9 over the Dera Sacha Sauda issue. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar today told ENS that the dera issue and other pending issues of the SGPC that fall under the purview of the Union government would be discussed in detail, so that peace may prevail in the state and no "Sikh feels cheated".
Makkar expressed these views after presiding over the executive committee meeting of the SGPC at Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib that was also attended by Raghujit Singh Virk, senior vice-president of SGPC, and Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, general secretary.
He added that Z-Plus security to Dera Sacha Sauda chief and other issues related with the dera would be discussed with the Union ministry. "Several issues like Sikh reference library issue and foreign Sikhs in SGPC would also be discussed with the Union Home Minister,” he claimed, adding that the Union government is not taking the issue of Sikh Reference Library seriously.
Answering a query on challenging of interim bail of the dera chief in the Supreme Court, Makkar said the SGPC would consult legal experts in this regard.
He said the SGPC did not recognise the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) that had been constituted to spearhead the agitation against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief. He said it was the prerogative of the SGPC to safeguard the religious interests of the Sikh community. "Some Sikh leaders were trying gain political mileage by floating such committees. Though the KAC maintaining that it follows directives issued by the Akal Takht, the manner in which it was coming up with its own programmes contradicts the claims,” he added.
Speaking about the remarks made by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who has equated the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh with that of Vedas and Upanishads, Makkar said such statements should not be issued by anybody.
On the possibility of summoning of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Paramjit Singh Sarna to Akal Takht because of his links with Dera Sacha Sauda, Makkar said he would not comment on it and only the Akal Takht Jathedar can give a suitable reply.
About the SGPC executive committee decisions, Makkar said the committee decided that all employees would be retired at the age of 58 years. He said this would be strictly followed and those employees who are working over the age of 58 in SGPC would be terminated within two months. He said no extension would be given to retired SGPC employees.