Y’nagar admn defuses communal tension

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, February 13

Tension arose in the district’s Daulatpur village, around 25 km from here, when two communities confronted over performing prayers in a temple on Friday night.

The police have lodged two cases against 18 persons of the Saini community and 11 of the Sikh community under Sections 295-A (outraging the religious feelings), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, said Bilaspur DSP Subhash Chand.

The Sikhs claimed the Guru Granth Sahib was installed in Saraswati temple of Daulatpur village decades ago. They alleged the conflict arose after people were found smoking bidis on the temple’s premises. The other group, however, alleged the Sikhs wanted to take possession of the temple.

On learning about the confrontation, a heavy police force reached the village along with Jagadhri SDM Prem Chand and District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) Gagandeep Singh. Deputy Commissioner SS Phulia and Superintendent of Police Arun Singh were also present.

After consulting Sikh leaders, the administration decided to shift the Guru Granth Sahib from the temple to a gurdwara here. The villagers, however, refused to hand over the holy book to the Sikhs, who live near the village.

Sources said the district administration nominated five Sikh officers, including DDPO Gagandeep Singh and Buria SHO Joginder Singh, to shift the Guru Granth Sahib from the temple to Santpura Gurdwara Sahib in the city. The team after performing a religious ceremony installed the holy book in the gurdwara.