To dera lawbreakers from Punjab, says Amarinder
Says state machinery was on toes two weeks ahead of the verdict against the dera chief
BATHINDA:As chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh lauded the security forces for maintaining law and order in the aftermath of conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a special CBI court, he ruled out any compensation to Punjab residents who were killed in Panchkula violence.
“The government provides compensation to martyrs and to those killed in road mishaps, but not to those who break the law,” he said. The CM who visited Mansa, Maur, Bathinda, Balluana, Gidderbaha and Malout to inspect the damage to property by dera followers, said things were under control and peace prevailed in the state. He said the state machinery was on toes to tackle any untoward situation two weeks ahead of the verdict against the dera chief.
The CM said it was up to the Union government to take decision on ordering a probe into the collapse of law and order that led to anarchy and violence in Panchkula and other parts of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi on Friday. Things would have remained normal if Haryana Police had not allowed a build up of dera followers in Panchkula.
He said after the Panchkula violence, 200 vehicles were pressed into service to ferry dera followers to their native villages in Punjab. “The idea behind deploying vehicles was that dera followers don’t create any law and order problem on their way back to home,” he said.
‘98 DERACENTRES SEARCHED IN STATE’
“As many as 98 dera centres have been searched in Punjab,” said the CM, adding the government won’t seal any deras.
The government will prepare a list of damage to public as well as private property by dera followers and will hand it over to the Punjab and Haryana high court to seek damages.
He said the security arrangements will remain in place in view of the pronouncement of quantum of sentence against dera head on Monday and curfew will remain in force during night.
“If peace prevails after this, the respective deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police have been authorised to review the situation and on their recommendations, the government will take a decision on lifting the curfew,” he said.
He said 45 preventive arrests have been made so far under Sections 107/151 in the seven districts of the sensitive Bathinda zone, which is considered the base of dera supporters in Punjab. “A total of 23 cases have been registered, with 30 arrests,” he said, adding that 62 petrol bombs had been seized, besides recovery of a .12-bore gun with a dozen cartridges and a .22 revolver with 28 cartridges.
Asked if the BJP soft-peddled dera followers because of vote bank politics, the CM said: “Does any party want such a situation? It became a law and order problem due to Haryana government’s negligence that allowed build-up of dera followers in Panchkula”.
PEACE PREVAILS
The region remained peaceful on Sunday, a day before court is to announce quantum of sentence against the dera head. Curfew was lifted during the day. Bathinda deputy commissioner on Sunday invited claims for damages in the violence by dera followers. The claims can be made with the office of the deputy commissioner within seven days.