Bathinda ‘pathi’ held for holding ardas for Sirsa dera chief’s release from jail
Police on Thursday arrested a ‘pathi’ of a gurdwara at Bir Talab village in Bathinda district for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by holding special ‘ardas’ for the controversial Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
Police on Thursday arrested a ‘pathi’ of a gurdwara at Bir Talab village in Bathinda district for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by holding special ‘ardas’ for the controversial Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The action was taken after Harpal Singh Khara, a lawyer, lodged a police complaint against the pathi Gurmel Singh Khalsa.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim is undergoing 20-year jail sentence in Haryana’s Rohtak for raping his two women disciples. The sect chief was accused of blasphemy and sacrilege of Sikh scriptures.
A video of Khalsa, a former sarpanch of Bir Talab, went viral where he is heard offering prayers for the jailed sect chief and saying he was a victim of a political conspiracy.
The video, which was shot in the presence of devotees at a gurdwara, also contained an appeal calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for the release of Ram Rahim.
In the ardas, Khalsa said being a member of the Dalit community, he wished the next Punjab chief minister should be a scheduled caste and the BJP deserves appreciation for making a similar announcement.
Khara, the complainant, said Khalsa’s conduct hurt the sentiment of Sikhs and a strict should be initiated against him. He also demanded action against the Bir Talab gurdwara management committee for allowing Khalsa’s address at the shrine.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) BS Virk said a case was registered under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian penal code.
“A team will probe the role of other persons named in the complaint,” said the SSP.
Meanwhile, BJP state secretary Sukhpal Sra shot a complaint to the National Commission for Schedule Castes that Khalsa was arrested for raising a pro-Dalit sentiment of attaining more political power in Punjab.