A day after violence and mayhem by Dera Sacha Sauda activists, Haryana remained tense but under control on Saturday with Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s followers leaving various large gatherings in Haryana, particularly the sect headquarters in Sirsa, where they had gathered in lakhs. The Army, along with the police and paramilitary forces, has put up barricades at entry points of the Dera headquarters — the sprawling campus spread over 1,000 acres with schools, sports village, a hospital and a cinema hall on the premises.
Dera followers’ self-evacuation from Sirsa and other ashrams has come as a great relief for law-enforcers who feared bloodshed if security forces had to move into the Dera HQ for forcible evacuation. Earlier in the day, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 33 Armoured Division, Maj General Rajpal Punia, said in a media briefing, “There is no plan so far to enter the Dera headquarters here. We are focusing on maintenance of law and order presently.”
Meanwhile, the Haryana Government on Saturday suspended Panchkula DCP for laxity in implementing Section 144, and sacked Deputy Advocate General for holding Gurmeet’s bag after his conviction in a rape case.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court slammed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar for “protecting and extending political patronage” to Gurmeet Ram Rahim, and asked the State to register a sedition case against those who instigated the widespread violence by Dera followers after the sect leader was convicted of rape.
The Sirsa administration has decided to give a relaxation in the curfew from 6 am to 11 am on Sunday after no violence by Dera followers was reported in the area on Saturday, a State Government official said. After his conviction, Ram Rahim is lodged in a jail at Sunaria in Rohtak.
The Haryana DGP, BS Sandhu, said 36 people have died, including 30 in Panchkula and 6 in Sirsa, and 34 cases have been registered in various places.
Bus services have started in some places in Haryana, he added. Giving details of the recovery of arms from Dera followers, Haryana Chief Secretary DS Dhesi said that the police have recovered one AK47 gun, two rifles and five pistols from vehicles of Dera followers. As many as 524 persons have been arrested and investigations are underway, he said.
The Chief Secretary said the mob burnt 28 vehicles, including some belonging to the Government, besides setting on fire two Government buildings, namely offices of the Income Tax Department and HARTRON. Besides, six private shops were damaged and two other structures, including an ATM of HDFC Bank, were also set on fire, said he.
The Chief Secretary added as many as 101 companies of paramilitary have been deployed in the State and six columns of the Army have been deployed in Panchkula, and four in Sirsa. Curfew has been relaxed in Panchkula and Sirsa, he said.
Directing the state to verify a newspaper report on alleged instigation by the sect leaders, the High Court directed the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the instigators “if the reporter stood by his report”.
The Haryana Government has suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police of Panchkula Ashok Kumar, alleging that a defective order on implementation of Section 144 allowed the crowd build-up in the district. “Yes there was a lapse and that why we have suspended DCP Panchkula,” Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas said, adding that the prohibitory order issued by the officer only barred carrying of weapons and not a gathering of five or more persons.
The State Government also sacked Deputy Advocate General Gurdas Singh Salwara, who was caught on camera holding self-styled spiritual leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s bag after his conviction in a rape case. In a video that went viral, Salwara, the State’s number two lawyer, was seen in his court robes as he rushed to help Ram Rahim with a bright orange suitcase.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday asserted that there was complete peace in the State and said his Government would not tolerate any violence and continue to be on vigil till the sentencing of Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim is over on Monday.