Kharar, October 4
Tension arose in Gharuan village of Kharar block on the Kharar-Morinda road this afternoon when unidentified persons put on fire a ‘bir’ of Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Maliksar Sahib.

Traffic on the Kharar-Morinda road remained suspended for about three hours when angry villagers blocked the road and women sat on a dharna.

Mr Balbir Singh Sidhu, member, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (I), who was in the village in connection with a school function, told mediapersons that at about 1.45 p.m. some students noticed smoke coming out of a room of the local gurdwara where Guru Granth Sahib was kept. Mr Sidhu, along with other residents, ran towards the gurdwara.

Inside, they saw the ‘bir’ in flames. They put off the fire which had already destroyed the ‘bir’.

As news of the sacrilege spread, a large number of villagers assembled there. Mr Kiranbir Singh Kang (Vice-President, Shiromani Youth Akali Dal, Punjab) and Mr Mokha Singh, member, SGPC, also reached the site.

Mr Rupinder Singh, DSP, Kharar, who also reached the spot, said when the incident occurred, no granthi or sewadar was present. The doors of the gurdwara were open.

Mr G.S. Grewal, Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, and Mr G.S. Bhullar, SSP, Ropar, also rushed to the village.