05-20-2007, 01:14 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Sikh, Dera hold backdoor talks </b>
Pioneer.com
Satinder Bains | Chandigarh
The protests against Dera Sacha Sauda continued on Saturday all over Punjab while the Punjab Government is reported to have started backdoor efforts to resolve the standoff between Sikh community and Dera Sacha Sauda. The radical organisation, in the meantime, has raised hackles against the Dera head Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh.
Punjab Chief Minister's special emissary and his advisor Daljit Singh Cheema on Saturday reportedly held a closed door meeting with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar and Sikh high priests including Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti.
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<b>The other Sikh priests present in the meeting included Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Tarlochan Singh.</b>
The meeting was held at the guest house of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, 30 kms from here. It is learnt that Cheema had conveyed to the high priests the point of views of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The meeting also discussed the strategy to handle the situation during five high priests' meeting on May 21.
The Akal Takht and SGPC are under tremendous pressure from radical organisations to take stern action against Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh at the expiry of three-days ultimatum for the arrest of Baba that ends at noon on Sunday.
<b>The radical organisations have stepped up tirade against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief and refused to accept anything less than his arrest.</b>
Damdami Taksal Chief Harnam Singh Dhunna at a press conference at Chandigarh on Saturday said that all Sikh organisations would hold a meeting at Akal Takht on Sunday since <span style='color:red'>ultimatum to the Government would end at 12 noon. He said that nobody would be allowed to compromise with the Baba. He said that the meeting at Akal Takht has been called with the consent of Sikh high priests</span>.
<b>He said that they would not allow Dera of Baba Gurmit Singh to function in Punjab. He demanded the State Government to close down the Deras.</b>
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti who was not in Amritsar on Saturday said he was in Ludhiana. He said that meeting may be convened either on Sunday or Monday.
Meanwhile in Amritsar, various Nihang organisations under the leadership of Chief of Nihang Sikh Baba Nihal Singh Harianbela Wala here held a meeting under the shadow of firearms and swords amidst charged atmosphere.
<b>Nihang Chief Baba Nihal Singh Harianbela Wala condemned the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for adopting the liberal stand against Dera Sacha Sauda chief.</b>
Nihal Singh said that Punjab Government should immediately come forward to close down all the centers of Dera Sacha Sauda in the State besides the registration of criminal cases against the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Sikh community all over the world.
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Pioneer.com
Satinder Bains | Chandigarh
The protests against Dera Sacha Sauda continued on Saturday all over Punjab while the Punjab Government is reported to have started backdoor efforts to resolve the standoff between Sikh community and Dera Sacha Sauda. The radical organisation, in the meantime, has raised hackles against the Dera head Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh.
Punjab Chief Minister's special emissary and his advisor Daljit Singh Cheema on Saturday reportedly held a closed door meeting with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar and Sikh high priests including Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti.
Â
<b>The other Sikh priests present in the meeting included Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Tarlochan Singh.</b>
The meeting was held at the guest house of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, 30 kms from here. It is learnt that Cheema had conveyed to the high priests the point of views of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The meeting also discussed the strategy to handle the situation during five high priests' meeting on May 21.
The Akal Takht and SGPC are under tremendous pressure from radical organisations to take stern action against Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh at the expiry of three-days ultimatum for the arrest of Baba that ends at noon on Sunday.
<b>The radical organisations have stepped up tirade against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief and refused to accept anything less than his arrest.</b>
Damdami Taksal Chief Harnam Singh Dhunna at a press conference at Chandigarh on Saturday said that all Sikh organisations would hold a meeting at Akal Takht on Sunday since <span style='color:red'>ultimatum to the Government would end at 12 noon. He said that nobody would be allowed to compromise with the Baba. He said that the meeting at Akal Takht has been called with the consent of Sikh high priests</span>.
<b>He said that they would not allow Dera of Baba Gurmit Singh to function in Punjab. He demanded the State Government to close down the Deras.</b>
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti who was not in Amritsar on Saturday said he was in Ludhiana. He said that meeting may be convened either on Sunday or Monday.
Meanwhile in Amritsar, various Nihang organisations under the leadership of Chief of Nihang Sikh Baba Nihal Singh Harianbela Wala here held a meeting under the shadow of firearms and swords amidst charged atmosphere.
<b>Nihang Chief Baba Nihal Singh Harianbela Wala condemned the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for adopting the liberal stand against Dera Sacha Sauda chief.</b>
Nihal Singh said that Punjab Government should immediately come forward to close down all the centers of Dera Sacha Sauda in the State besides the registration of criminal cases against the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Sikh community all over the world.
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