Notwithstanding evacuation of Satlok Ashram by thousands of followers of preacher Rampal amid tight security arrangements, an uneasy calm prevailed at Karontha village on Tuesday after two days of violence wherein three persons, including a woman, were killed and over 100 persons injured.
Earlier, the situation threatened to snowball after the district magistrate decided to forcefully get the ashram vacated as the protesting activists of Arya Samaj were adamant on their demands of vacating the entire ashram before ending their agitation.
They spent the entire day by sitting in the fields around the ashram, along with the body of 40-year-old Promila, who was killed during the clash on Sunday. They were waiting for the administration’s response regarding their demands to decide further course of action.
The protesters did not cremate the body of Promila on Tuesday, stating that the authorities have not fulfilled all their demands. DGP Haryana SN Vashisth again visited the spot in the evening and tried to pacify the protesters, but to no avail.
The traffic on the Rohtak-Jhajjar highway remained disrupted for the third day, while the police had set up barricades on both sides of the highway to divert the traffic to alternative routes. Earlier, in view of the situation prevailing in the village, Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Vikas Gupta exercising special powers under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) ordered that the ashram be vacated immediately.
Gupta, in a statement, said the decision to get the ashram vacated was taken to keep the situation under control. He also urged villagers and activists of Arya Samaj protesting near Satlok Ashram to return back to their homes.
“There are a large number of persons camping inside the Ashram, which is violation of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Thus, we have initiated action to get the Ashram vacated of the possession of Rampal and his followers,” said the DC.
On Tuesday morning, Arya Samaj activists moved the body of Promila to a spot near the village from Rohtak-Jhajjar road, where they had placed it to demand the release of their leaders. The protesters were demanding that they will not cremate the body till the State Government closes down the Ashram and take away Rampal and his followers.
Over 2,000 armed police personnel, CRPF, Rapid Action Force led by the top Haryana police officers and district administration officers had been pressed into action to vacate the ashram.
The police personnel made repeated announcements through Public Address systems appealing the Arya Samaj followers to maintain peace and voluntarily vacate the Ashram.
Rampal's followers, numbering between 1,000 and 1,500, left the Ashram where they had been camping from the last three days, after the decision of the district administration.
Several Haryana Roadways buses had been despatched to the Ashram to enable Rampal's followers to leave the premises.
Earlier Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda appealed to the followers of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, a body representing the Arya Samaj and Satlok Ashram “to keep their emotions under control, go back to their homes and help in maintaining peace and communal harmony.”
Hooda said legal action would be taken against those found guilty of indulging in acts of violence, and held out the assurance that no one would be allowed to harass innocent people.