Situation now normal, DGP assures Rajnath
Gurmeet Ram Rahim is a noble soul. This is a conspiracy to defame Indian culture and the holy people. If there is further violence, the courts will be responsible. It is unprecedented that a situation like this came with a notice of seven days, but both Haryana and central governments remained mute, impotent spectators.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Haryana. Following the meeting, Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said the director general of Haryana Police had assured the Central government that the situation was now under control.
A special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday convicted Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape, triggering widespread violence that has claimed at least 34 lives.
”Haryana, Punjab and Delhi have not seen many incidents today. Panchkula and Sirsa had a situation yesterday but now the situation has normalised,” he said. Asked if the Haryana government had failed to control the situation, Mehrishi said, “In an ongoing situation, we cannot blame anyone.”
Sources said that Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain gave a detailed briefing about the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and chiefs of paramilitary personnel were also present.
The home minister was informed that Panchkula and Sirsa were ”very tense” and the situation in the rest of the state was “tense but under control”.
In a formal statement, the home ministry said that besides Haryana, it also reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country.
”The situation in Haryana was assessed at present to be under control, though it is being carefully monitored. The home minister took note of the assurance of DGP, Haryana, that the law and order situation in Haryana would be kept in control,” the statement said.