CHANDIGARH: Reacting to the series of events leading to the standoff between the Sikh organisations and the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, the Bharatiya Janata Party has held out a major warning to its partner in the ruling alliance, the Shiromani Akali Dal, that in case anything went wrong the party "will not hesitate to take hard decisions in the interests of the people of Punjab."

`Concerned'

A statement quoting the president of the Punjab unit of the BJP, Rajinder Bhandari, who presided over a meeting of its office-bearers and Ministers here on Monday, the party was deeply concerned over the developments in the State since May 14.

The leader of the BJP group in the Assembly and the senior most Cabinet Minister, Manoranjan Kalia, also attended the deliberations which went on till late in the evening.

The statement said the BJP would hold the government led by Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, directly responsible for any loss to life and property.

For communal amity

The leaders said the people of the State had not forgotten the dark days of terrorism, while the BJP was committed to preserving the communal harmony and Punjabi brotherhood.

Through a separate statement, the working president of the Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, has urged the rank and file of the party's youth wing to fan out across Punjab to ensure that the "bandh' called by the Akal Takht passed of peacefully as per the directions of the apex Singh Sahibs.

Appeal

Mr. Badal appealed to the Youth Akali Dal and activists of the Students' Organisation of India (SOI) to resist any provocation and thwart the `nefarious designs' of forces out to sabotage peace.

He urged workers to tread the path of humility and persuasion to make the bandh a success.

"No one should be harassed and no one should be made to join it against his or her will, as that would be a violation of the directive of the Akal Takht," he added.

Complaint filed

PTI reports:

A complaint was filed here on Monday against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief by two local ruling Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, charging him with hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs.

The complaint was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Kapurthala who fixed the hearing for June 2.

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