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Thursday, Jun 26, 2008
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Sikh protesters disrupt train services

Five long distance passenger trains, two goods trains halted at various places

— Photo: AP

SNOWBALLING PROTESTS: Sikhs block railway tracks during a protest against Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Amritsar on Wednesday.

Chandigarh: The day-long rail blockade organised by different Sikh groups to protest against the Mumbai firing incident passed off peacefully on Wednesday even as many passengers suffered after being stranded following cancellation and termination of various trains.

A railway spokesman said 14 long distance trains bound for different destinations, including Mumbai, Dadar, Nanded, Barauni, Katihar and Saharsa and a number of local passenger trains were cancelled and some trains were terminated at Ambala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Beas.

Five long distance passenger trains and two goods trains were halted midway due to the protests at various places — Amritsar, Madhopur (Sirhind), Malout, Abohar, Moga, Sangrur, Mullanpur (Ludhiana) and Rajpura. The services were, however, restored in the evening.

Stranded

Pilgrims going to Vaishnodevi and Amarnath on board the Jabalpur-Jammu Tawi Express were stranded at the Chaheru railway station, seven km from Phagwara.

The call for the rail roko was given by different Sikh groups, including the radical Damdami Taksal, which demanded the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, whose bodyguard had allegedly shot dead a Sikh in Mumbai last week.

At most places the protesters left at around 3 p.m., but around 400 Sikhs led by chief of Damdami Taksal Baba Harnam Singh Dhuma and SAD (Amritsar) president Daljit Singh Bittu among others ended their sit-in on the tracks at Madhopur village near Sirhind late this evening. They ended the protest by performing ‘ardas’ (prayers). —PTI

Centre’s advisory

PTI reports from New Delhi:

The Centre has issued an advisory to all States to take precautionary measures following protests by Sikhs in the wake of alleged firing by bodyguards of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Mumbai last week.

The Union Home Ministry also asked the Haryana government as to why the personal security guards were given all India arms licences despite the Dera chief enjoying Z-plus security cover, official sources said here.

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