Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar in Chandigarh Saturday. (Source: Express Photo)
Punjab launched search operations at 98 Naam Charcha Ghars of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda across state and recovered lathis, pipes and rods, axes and petrol bombs from the premises. During a press conference in Chandigarh Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said he had held a review meeting with top administrative and police officials to assess the law and order situation following which 39 criminal cases had been registered against perpetrators of violence in the state.
Addressing mediapersons, Amarinder, responding to a question on whether the branches of the dera would be sealed on the lines of dera headquarters in Sirsa, said they are assessing the damage done by arson and violence. The list would be submitted to the HC and the state would follow the orders.
While congratulating police and civil officials for handling the situation in Punjab, he said 52 minor incidents had been reported from the state, with no loss of life or extensive damage anywhere following the announcement of the verdict yesterday. “As many as seven Punjabis lost their lives and 42 were injured out of a total of 250 in the mayhem at Panchkula. No loss of life was reported from Punjab. There were minor incidents. There was neither any firing nor any lathicharge in any part of the state,” he said. He said he was speaking on the basis of information provided by Haryana, which was “hestitating in sharing information.”
He said he is planning to visit some of the affected areas of Punjab on Sunday to congratulate the people and the forces on the ground for maintaining peace. Punjab has beefed up security at vital installations and is ready to enforce curfew again in sensitive areas of the state on Monday, if needed, in view of the upcoming sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Ram Rahim.
It has also been decided to extend the ban on mobile data services in the state till Tuesday, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced here on Saturday, adding that 19 potential trouble makers had been taken into preventive custody and the crackdown would continue ahead of the sentencing. The main leaders of Dera Sacha Sauda, who are likely to instigate followers, are either being taken into custody or arrested.
The CM said the curfew had been lifted in three districts of the state and relaxed in the other areas where it was imposed yesterday. The DCs had been authorized to take any further decisions on enforcement of curfew in their respective districts, keeping in mind the situation on the ground, he added. However, he made it clear that there would be no let-up in security in the state till after the sentencing by the court in the Ram Rahim case. The Chief Minister said his government would not accept any nonsense or allow anyone to spread bad blood in Punjab even on Monday and this was his promise to the state and its people.
He revealed that he had spoken and written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his government had also taken up the issue of additional safety for Punjab as far back as August 13, giving everyone ample time to ensure fool-proof security. This, and the fact that the entire Punjab police and the government was in the field yesterday, had ensured that things remained peaceful in the state, he added.
Parties won’t seek dera support in future
Asked about the continued political patronage to such Deras, Punjab CM said it was a decision that had to be taken nationally by various political parties. Asserting that he would not allow any dera to create trouble in Punjab, Amarinder opined that the way things were going, it did not seem likely that political parties would support the Deras in the future.
