23rd July, 2008 - Punjab & Haryana Bandh today

Godmen around the country are making a hell out of their godly activities. The Gurmat Siddhant Parcharak Sant Samaj & the Damdami Taksal has called for a bandh in Punjab & Haryana on July 23 demanding the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The demand is not new but the goverment is in a dilemma. Protesters are also demanding the sealing of Naam Charcha centres of Ram Rahim , besides initiating an inquiry against him. They stated that the Dera chief should be arrested allegedly for killing three Sikhs, two in Punjab & another in Maharashtra. Harman Singh Khalsa, head, Damdami Taksal, said, “It’s shameful on the part of the Centre & the state government to shield the Dera chief and fail to initiate an action against him”.The Sant Samaj appealed to people of Punjab & Haryana to observe bandh on July 23. Only the trains will be allowed to run. The Sant Samaj will organise the bhog ceremony of Harmandir Singh killed by Dera followers in Dabwali yesterday. The samaj will hold a meeting in Ludhiana on July 30 to plan further action.