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| Stand off sharpens in Dera issue |
| The Akal Takht - the highest political institution of the Sikhs - has called for a shutdown in Punjab on Tuesday.
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| INDIA
, 21-May-2007
10:59:19 AM |
| The protest call comes after the leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect appeared in an advertisement dressed like Guru Gobind Singh, which sparked violence last week.
The Akal Takht has issued an ultimatum to the Punjab government to shut down facilities of the Dera sect in the state by May 27 and rejected a statement of regret by its chief Baba Ram Rahim.
Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal's backchannel mediation between the two sides have failed.
Badal cannot go against the wishes of the Akal Takht because that would antagonise his vote bank.
At the same time to maintain peace in the state is important for his government.
''As the Chief Minister I can't say something like this. But he should see what mistake he has made. I don't say an apology will help but he should do whatever he can to solve the problem,'' Chief Minister Badal said.
''I request all political parties like the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP to maintain peace. We will not allow anyone to create problems.''
''The Punjab government is determined to maintain calm,'' Badal said.
Baba Ram Rahim is accused of sexually exploiting a girl at the sect's headquarters in Sirsa in Haryana in 2003.
He is also linked to the murder of journalist Ramchandrsa Chattrapaty who exposed the story.
The Dera has hinted legal recourse.
''We have expressed our sincere and heartfelt regrets on several occasions in front of the media,'' spokesman for the sect Dr Aditya Arora said of the issue.
''If an effort is not made to understand whatever we have tried to convey, and it is transformed into a battle of semantics, then I think we are not being understood.''
''We expect the government to act responsibly under the law of the land, if the situation demands, legal option is also open to us,'' Dr Arora said.
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