Haryana imposed a curfew ahead of a decision in a rape trial involving Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Friday amid hysteria among his supporters and fury of those inconvenienced by street protests and security arrangements.
As the Dera Sacha Sauda chief left the sect headquarters at Sirsa to attend the court hearing in Panchkula, his followers flanking the streets turned hysterical and held up the cavalcade for a few minutes.
Singh commands a following that he says is in the millions. Thousands of his supporters have been protesting in the streets since Thursday.
Among those impacted by the protests on Friday was a Jind resident who said he waited at a bus stand for two hours, but failed to find transport. He said he was visiting the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh for consultation.
Watch the man capturing the bewilderment of those hit by the protests and describe the hysteria triggered by Singh’s trial: