Efforts on to restore peace in Kaithal

Tribune News Service
Kaithal, March 24

After the death of a villager in a violent clash on Friday, the situation at Badsui village in the district remained tense but under control today. The district authorities deployed police at the village to ensure law and order while officials and members of a peace committee made efforts to defuse the situation.

Meanwhile, villagers claim that the clash was not between two religious communities. On condition of anonymity, a villager said members of the Jat community came in support of the gurdwara management committee after a section of the temple management allegedly started constructing a boundary wall. 

“Some villagers have differences over village politics that led to the violent clash leading to one death. A section of the temple management tried to go in for unilateral demarcation and when the gurdwara supporters objected to it, they were attacked by a mob,” he said.

Police sources said a strict vigil was being maintained as there was an attempt to give a communal colour to the incident. Six persons, including main suspect Om Prakash, the ex-sarpanch, and his three sons, had been arrested. 

“The clash was due to the encroachment on two religious sites which have been constructed on common village land. The authorities are working hard to bring normalcy and several persons have been detained in the case,” said an official.

Meanwhile, working president of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (ad hoc) Didar Singh Nalvi demanded action against the hooligans.

He said it was unfortunate that the gurdwara building had been partially damaged by the unsocial elements. Nalvi said the HSGMC favoured an amicable solution to the demarcation. He praised the district authorities for acting swiftly against the culprits and said the committee would stand by the family of the deceased and the injured. 

SGPC presses for investigation 

Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has asked its members from Haryana to probe the incident of attack on Sikhs and a gurdwara in Badsui village of Kaithal district. Gobind Singh Longowal, SGPC chief, condemned the attack and said legal action would be taken against the arsonists. He dubbed the attack as an attempt to muzzle the voice of the minority Sikh community. He said the mob took the law in their hands to resolve a dispute over land division. Longowal said the state government was responsible for safeguarding the lives and property of the minorities. He urged Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to punish the accused, so that such incidents do not reoccur. TNS