Panel blames local BJP for quot;attackquot; academy

AMRITSAR, Dec 10: The SGPC inquiry committee has held the local BJP leadership of Dehradun responsible for the attack' and ransacking' ...

AMRITSAR, Dec 10: The SGPC inquiry committee has held the local BJP leadership of Dehradun responsible for the attack8217; and ransacking8217; of Guru Ramdas Academy at Dehradun on December 2. It accused the local civil and police administration of siding with the local BJP leaders and hooligans8217;.

In its report submitted to SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra, which was released to the press here today, the three-member inquiry committee headed by Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, the acting president, stated the chairman of the Guru Ram Das Academy, Raja Singh had purchased the adjoining land and the 8220;registration deed8221; was available with him. This land belonged to erstwhile princely state of Nabha, and was leased out to one Sher Singh, a resident of Dehradun by Sarojani, a legal heir of this the state. Gobind Sehgal, a Congress leader and brother of Harish Sehgal, a local BJP leader, had been trying to encroach this land by laying claim on it. He has never filed any case in any civil court.

The report says that Harish Sehgal, Gobind Sehgal, along with Ramsaran Notial, president Zilla Parishad BJP, Rajinder Shah, Harish Kapur both BJP MLAs, Vinod Chamoli, chairman, Municipal Board BJP , Baleshwar Lal, district president BJP, Surinder Aggarwal Congress accompanied by their gunmen and nearly 300 hooligans tried to encroach this land by attacking the academy. They beat up the security guards of the academy. When Mrs.Lata, the estate officer of the academy, intervened, she was also pushed away. Several teachers and students of the academy were also beaten up and abused by the hooligans.

Pointing out that though the Guru Granth Sahib was not installed at the site, the committee said that the Chandoa Sahib8217; was erected. The unruly mob dismantled the Nishan Sahib8217; religious flag and desecrated and set on fire the Gutkas8217; and other religious literature. Though this land has been attached by enforcing Section 145 and 146, and the police has been deployed, but a board depicting 8220;Garhwal Sishu Sikhsha Sanatha8221; had been installed, and 8220;Sehgal office8221; has been written on one room of the building in this land in the presence of the police with a view to showing the possession of Gobind Sehgal.

The committee asked the SGPC and Akali leadership to take up this issue with the BJP high command in order to get justice and to instill a sense of security among the Sikhs, the minority committee in the Uttar Pradesh.