Reeling from hot buttons, Mann govt red-flags Dera head’s parole to warm up to Sikh bodies

Punjab’s affidavit was in sharp contrast to the BJP-led Haryana government’s response to the SGPC’s petition. The Manohar Lal Khattar-headed Haryana government, which had granted 40-day parole to the Dera chief on January 20, told the court that he does not fall under the category of a hardcore prisoner and could not be termed a serial killer.

During his recent parole, the fourth in the last 14 months, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, while staying at his Barwana Ashram located in Bagpat district in western Uttar Pradesh, held several virtual satsangs for his many Dera centres located across Punjab, Haryana and UP.

The Mann government’s affidavit seems to have gone down well with several Sikh bodies, who have continued to hold protests on various issues.

The United Akali Dal’s president Gurdeep Singh Bathinda said, “We fully agree with the affidavit filed by Punjab government as his (Gurmeet Ram Rahim) frequent parole can be a cause of law and order in the state, which has a history of conflict between Dera Sacha Sauda devotees and Sikh organisations, especially at a time when various Sikh bodies under the aegis of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha are seeking the release of Bandi Singhs who have completed their jail terms.”

Bathinda said, “This is a country of nearly 140 crore people and sentiments of people should be taken into account. Governments should stop patronising Deras for their vote bank politics. Even politicians from Punjab had been paying their respects to the Dera chief in the past in the time of elections.”

The Bargari Insaaf Morcha’s leader Sukhraj Singh Niamiwala said, “When the Dera Sacha Sauda has already been under scanner in the 2015 sacrilege incidents and the 2017 Maur bomb blast case, such parole to its head would certainly cause anger among those who have been sitting on the roads for months to seek justice.”

The Bargari Insaaf Morcha’s stir has been continuing at the site of the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing in Faridkot district since December 16, 2021 to seek justice for its victims. The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha’s protest has been going on since January 7 this year on the Mohali-Chandigarh border.

The Punjab government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) recently filed a 7,000-page chargesheet in a Faridkot district court in the October 14, 2015 Kotkapura police firing case that had followed the sacrilege incidents of Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village (theft of the Guru Granth Sahib) and Bargari village (affixing of derogatory poster opposite the wall of Bargari gurdwara and scattering of pages from the Guru Granth Sahib near the gurdwara) during June-October 2015. On October 14, 2015, the police had also fired on villagers protesting against the sacrilege incidents in Behbal Kalan, in which two people were killed.

On March 4, Punjab agriculture minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had gone to attend an “akhand path” event organised by the Bargari Insaaf Morcha, where he announced that the AAP government will not spare any culprits of the sacrilege incidents and that the SIT would file a chargesheet in three-four days in the Behbal Kalan firing case too.

It was a “thanks giving” event held in the Behbal Kalan village following the filing of the chargesheet in the Kotkapura firing case, which indicted top Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, Sukhbir Badal and Parkash Badal, and several senior police officials.

Referring to the Mann government’s affidavit in the Dera Sacha Sauda head’s parole affair, a Bargari Insaaf Morcha activist said, “This highlights the government’s bid to win the confidence of the protesting Sikh organisations.”

On January 30, while on parole, Gurmeet Ram Rahim held a virtual satsang for his followers in Punjab, who gathered at the Dera’s Salabatpura centre in Bathinda. On their way to the Salabatpura centre, some of them had to face protests in a few places in Bathinda and Faridkot districts.

At Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s similar online congregation in October last year during his then parole, some Dera devotees from Punjab had raised the demand for opening its new centre in Sunam in Sangrur district. This had however drawn sharp criticism from the SGPC and other Sikh organisations. SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami charged that besides being convicted in rape and murder cases the Dera chief had also been involved in a sacrilege case, arguing that any move to set up a new Dera centre could “spoil” the atmosphere of Punjab.

A member of the Dera’s political committee, Ram Singh, however, told The Indian Express, “Pitaji (Dera chief) is getting parole as per law. What is the problem for Punjab government and some Sikh organisations. During his parole he is doing his preachings, asking people to do good deeds, so what is the problem. And these are online satsangs.”

He also said: “Dera’s devotees have increased over the years because it focuses on social reforms. We have helped thousands to shun drugs. We help the poor and undertake many other social reform projects.”

Meanwhile, following the expiry of his parole, Gurmeet Ram Rahim returned to the Sunariya jail in Haryana’s Rohtak on March 3.

When asked about the Punjab government’s affidavit, the Punjab BJP’s chief spokesperson Anil Sarin told the Express, “BJP has nothing to do with the parole of the Dera head. It is a legal procedure whosoever the person may be. If the authorities find it legally correct, the person concerned is granted parole.” He added, “However, when it comes to law and order, it is the responsibility of state government to maintain it.”