Punjab, Haryana asked to ensure peace

The home ministry asks the state governments to initiate peace talks between the Sikhs and the Dera sect followers.

The central government on Friday asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to take steps to contain the sectarian flare-up between Sikhs and followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect.

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Officials said the home ministry has asked the state governments to initiate peace talks between the groups involved.

In fresh advisories, similar to ones issued two days ago, the state governments were told to take all "possible effective steps and measures for maintenance of peace and communal harmony in the state".

The directives cautioned the two states to "ensure that the sectarian stand-off between the followers of the two sects within the Sikh religion is not exploited by anti-social elements", said home ministry officials.

The advisories came after the home ministry had alerted Punjab and Haryana as also Rajasthan on Wednesday evening and asked them to keep their security forces ready to stem any untoward situation over the sectarian flare-up.

One person was killed on Thursday in a clash in Sangrur district in Punjab, while around two dozen people were injured in sporadic incidents of violence involving attacks on properties of the Dera sect by Sikh protesters.

The violence was triggered when Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh purportedly appeared in the attire of the 10th Sikh guru in an advertisement in some newspapers.