Days after the incident of church vandalization in a Tarn Taran village, a clash broke out between Nihang Sikhs and followers of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas on Sunday after the former allegedly tried to forcibly enter the sprawling Dera premises to graze their cattle, leaving 10 people and a police personnel injured.
Both sides pelted stones and bricks at each other and some people fired in the air during the clash, the police said. The Police also resorted to a mild cane-charge to disperse Nihangs and Dera followers.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Swapan Sharma said that the situation was under control.
According to the police, a group of Nihangs wanted to enter the Dera Radha Soami sect's land to graze their cattle. However, the followers of Dera Radha Soami objected to it and denied them entry, leading to heated arguments.
One of the Nihangs allegedly attacked a security in-charge of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, identified as Parmdeep Singh Teja, who sustained injuries in his shoulders.
Jandiala Guru Police Station SHO Davinder Kumar, who was on the spot, tried to intervene and also sustained injuries. The situation took an ugly turn when the group of Nihangs again forcibly tried to enter the Dera premises, leading to the clash between both the groups. Nihangs broke one of the entry gates of the Dera premises, claimed Dera followers.
A total of 10 people from both sides suffered injuries, besides the police officer. The injured were admitted to Baba Bakala civil hospital.
The Nihangs are a Sikh sect whose blue-robed members are often seen carrying swords or spears.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring appealed to everyone to maintain calm and avoid spreading misinformation. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal also appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony while describing the incident as “extremely disturbing”.
“Repeated clashes and breakdown of law and order are pushing the state towards anarchy. I urge (chief minister) @BhagwantMann to immediately come to grips with the situation,” he tweeted.
