06-18-2007, 10:31 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Dera row: Sikhs to court arrest from June 19 </b>
Pioneer News Service | Chandigarh
<b>The radical Sikh organisations on Sunday reiterated their ultimatum given to the Punjab Government to arrest Dera Sacha Sauda head Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh before June 18 or face the agitation by Sikhs.</b>
The constituents of the Sant Samaj led by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa head of Damdami Taksal and Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, president Sant Samaj said that they would court arrest if the police did not arrest the controversial Godman by June 18. Harnam Singh Khalsa said that first jatha of religious leaders would leave Fatehgarh Sahib to court arrest at Civil Secretariat at Chandigarh on Tuesday when the Assembly would be in session.
Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said that this decision was taken at a meeting organised at Gurdwara Karamsar Rara Sahib recently. He said that a five-member committee had been constituted to monitor agitation.
The meeting was considered significant in view the approaching deadline given by radical Sikh organisations of the State for the arrest of Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh who according to them had committed an act of blasphemy by trying to ape Guru Gobind Singh.
Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said that all the constituents of the Sant Samaj were unanimous about starting a "peaceful action plan" to impress upon the respective Governments to ensure that the religious sentiments of Sikhs, hurt by the blasphemous act of the Dera chief, were taken care of. "Keeping in view the significance of communal harmony in the State we have decided to start courting arrest in a phased manner from June 19, in case the police failed to arrest the Baba by June 18. But our action plan will be purely religious and no individual or organisation will be allowed to harness political mileage out of our protest," said Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa.
He claimed that activists and office-bearers of various radical Sikh religious organisations, who had gone abroad or to other States had been asked to return to their native places so that the chain of arrests were maintained till the Baba is arrested.
Sant Daya Singh, Baba Makhan Singh Tarna Dal, Baba Hari Singh Randhawa, and Baba Paramjit Singh Mahalpur, besides chief of Damdami Taksal and president Gurmat Sidhant Parchar Committee Baba Haranam Singh Khalsa have been inducted in the committee to draft the programme of courting arrests
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Pioneer News Service | Chandigarh
<b>The radical Sikh organisations on Sunday reiterated their ultimatum given to the Punjab Government to arrest Dera Sacha Sauda head Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh before June 18 or face the agitation by Sikhs.</b>
The constituents of the Sant Samaj led by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa head of Damdami Taksal and Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, president Sant Samaj said that they would court arrest if the police did not arrest the controversial Godman by June 18. Harnam Singh Khalsa said that first jatha of religious leaders would leave Fatehgarh Sahib to court arrest at Civil Secretariat at Chandigarh on Tuesday when the Assembly would be in session.
Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said that this decision was taken at a meeting organised at Gurdwara Karamsar Rara Sahib recently. He said that a five-member committee had been constituted to monitor agitation.
The meeting was considered significant in view the approaching deadline given by radical Sikh organisations of the State for the arrest of Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh who according to them had committed an act of blasphemy by trying to ape Guru Gobind Singh.
Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said that all the constituents of the Sant Samaj were unanimous about starting a "peaceful action plan" to impress upon the respective Governments to ensure that the religious sentiments of Sikhs, hurt by the blasphemous act of the Dera chief, were taken care of. "Keeping in view the significance of communal harmony in the State we have decided to start courting arrest in a phased manner from June 19, in case the police failed to arrest the Baba by June 18. But our action plan will be purely religious and no individual or organisation will be allowed to harness political mileage out of our protest," said Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa.
He claimed that activists and office-bearers of various radical Sikh religious organisations, who had gone abroad or to other States had been asked to return to their native places so that the chain of arrests were maintained till the Baba is arrested.
Sant Daya Singh, Baba Makhan Singh Tarna Dal, Baba Hari Singh Randhawa, and Baba Paramjit Singh Mahalpur, besides chief of Damdami Taksal and president Gurmat Sidhant Parchar Committee Baba Haranam Singh Khalsa have been inducted in the committee to draft the programme of courting arrests
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