Moga/ Chandigarh (November 28, 2013): Three days after the recent clash between the Dera Sauda Sirsa followers and the Sikhs, the Punjab BJP has come at open support of dera followers, while blaming the Sikhs for attempting to disturbed the situation by opposing dera activities.
It is notable that Sikhs are opposing the activities of the Sirsa based dera since Akal Takht issuing directive against the dera in May 2007 in wake of blasphemous and anti-Sikh activities of the dera head.
Balramji Das Tandon, BJP
As per certain media reports the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), a pro-Hindutva political outfit, leader Balramji Das Tandon has criticized Sikhs for attempting to disturb the situation of Punjab by opposing activities of the Sirsa based dera and its followers.
He said that the opposition to the ‘religious discourse’ of dera followers has threatened the ‘freedom of religion’ granted by the Indian constitution.
He also criticized SGPC for its alleged failure to control the activities of handful of ‘radical’ Sikhs who oppose dera activities.
It is notable that Village Dhudike in Moga District faced tense situation when the dera sauda followers attempted to hold their gathering with the help of police administration but the move was opposed by the Sikhs.
It is notable that after the incident only Sikhs were targeted by the police as a case was registered against 80 Sikhs under 149, 295-A, 307 and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
BJP leader reportedly said that such type of activities by the Sikhs had resulted in violent incident of 1978. He said that the excessive presence of police force at Dhudike village averted the 1978 like incident there.