— Photo: PTI

PEACEFUL PROTEST: Security personnel keep vigil as Sikhs stage a demonstration against the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda, Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in Amritsar on Tuesday. The "Punjab Bandh" call was given by the Akal Takht to protest the alleged acts of sacrilege by the Baba. Normal life in the State was hit as the response to the bandh call was total and peaceful in most places.

CHANDIGARH : The bandh called by the Akal Takht to protest against the alleged disrespect to Guru Gobind Singh, 10th Sikh guru, by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh affected life in Punjab on Tuesday.

It was total at most places. However, no untoward incidents were reported. Activists of Sikh organisations organised a few protests and submitted memoranda to the authorities.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Jathedar of the Akal Takhat Giani Joginder Singh Vedani and president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Avtar Singh Makkar expressed their gratitude to the people for making the bandh a complete success and maintaining peace.

The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had threatened to take ``hard decisions'' on Monday, applauded the Chief Minister for maintaining law and order.

The first ever ``Punjab Bandh'' call by the Akal Takht was among a series of decisions taken by a meeting of the Singh Sahibs (apex clerics), that included an ultimatum to seal all assets of the Dera Sacha Sauda by May 27.

No sabre rattling

The most noteworthy aspect of the bandh was that members of the various Sikh organisations heeded the directions of the Jathedar and an appeal from the Chief Minister to avoid the sabre rattling ritual.

According to reports from Amritsar, in the absence of public transport, there was a big drop in the number of devotees visiting the Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple). The walled city wore a deserted look as all commercial establishments, including the famous `dhabas' (eating joints), remained closed.

A delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Damdami Taksal and the Dal Khalsa submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in Amritsar seeking the Dera chief's arrest under Section 124(A) of the IPC along with Section 295(A), under which a case has already been registered in Bathinda.Authorities invoked the provisions of Section 144 of the Cr.P.C. to order the closure of educational institutions and restrict the assembly of people.

Police deployment

Punjab witnessed possibly the heaviest deployment of police and paramilitary forces since terrorism was stamped out. While armed security personnel were stationed at sensitive points, brisk patrolling and marches were the order of the day.

Workers of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal assisted the administration in persuading the protesters at many places not to disrupt rail and road traffic. Sources said the Chief Minister, his colleagues and top officers in the civil and the police administration kept a close watch on the situation.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, working president of the Akali Dal, thanked the Hindu community for standing by their Sikh brethren in their hour of anguish and stress. He said this show of solidarity defeated the conspiracy of those who started the controversy to disturb communal harmony.

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