BJP sees Congress’s “hidden hand” in Punjab boil

The BJP accused a defeated Congress of fomenting trouble in the state with the help of Dera Sacha Sauda, a sect that helped that win more than 15 seats in the Malwa belt, reports Shekhar Iyer.

The BJP leadership is taken aback by the violence in Punjab where the party along with the Akali Dal rode to power after the assembly polls. It thinks the Congress is behind the trouble to destabilize the coalition led by Prakash Singh Badal, which is just three months old.

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The BJP accused a defeated Congress of fomenting trouble in the state with the help of Dera Sacha Sauda, a sect that helped that win more than 15 seats in the Malwa belt.

BJP deputy leader in Lok Sabha V K Malhotra said Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh should apologise for allegedly portraying himself as the Sikhs’ tenth guru Govind Singh --an act considered blasphemous by the faith.

"If he does not, the state government should take suitable action as such acts hurt religious sentiments seriously," he said.
Malhotra alleged the Congress had a hand in the trouble in Punjab as the Dera leader's had worked actively for re-electing Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister in the state elections.

"It's a Congress attempt to destabilise the Akali-BJP government by creating trouble," he said.

The issue, which has agitated the Sikh community, saw even leaders opposed to Badal, seeking action against the dera leader.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit Singh Sarna, who is against Badal, called him up to urge action against the Sacha Sauda head.

Sarna said "This is a very serious religious issue. Nobody can be allowed to portray himself as a Sikh guru. We believe the Akali government and the religious heads would take tough action in this regard."