Dera expresses 'anguish' at boycott call by Sikh priests

Dera leaders lament the decision by five Sikh high priests to "issue a five-point hukamnama (edict) that includes a social boycott of the Dera and its followers".

The Dera Sacha Sauda, engaged in a standoff with Sikh groups, on Thursday expressed anguish at the call for a social boycott of its followers issued by Sikh high priests.

At a meeting held at their headquarter on the outskirts of Sirsa in Haryana, Dera leaders "lamented" the decision by five Sikh high priests to "issue a five-point hukamnama (edict) that included a social boycott of the Dera and its followers".

The Dera had expressed its "anguish" at the call for the boycott given by the Sikh high priests, Dera spokesman Aditya Insaan told reporters in Sirsa on Thursday evening.

The decision would further divide society, he said, adding that the Dera had not got any information from the high priests or any Sikh body.

Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sparked a controversy by purportedly appearing in the attire of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh in an advertisement in some newspapers. Sikhs angered by the alleged insult to their 10th guru and Dera followers have clashed in parts of Punjab, Rajasthan and New Delhi over the past three days.

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