Sikh holy book found torn in Ludhiana; situation tense

Torn pages of a Sikh religious scripture were today found in Ghwaddi village of Ludhiana district after which heavy police force was summoned to avert any untoward incident.

The state has witnessed a spate of protests last week over alleged desecration of Sikh holy books and two persons lost their lives in police action, prompting Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to appeal for calm to assuage the community.

Three alleged instances of desecration of Sikh holy books took places recently. Today, 20 pages of a 'bir' (religious scripture) of Guru Granth Sahib were found torn in Gurudwara Ravi Dass of the village here. Scores of villagers gathered at the Gurudwara after hearing the news after which police intervened.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Narinder Bhargwa along with a heavy police force reached to the spot. "Situation is tense but under control. Police is keeping a vigil," the DCP said. Several Sikh leaders of the area, including village sarpanch and president of the Gurudwara collected the torn pages and handed it over to the head granthi of historic gurudwara Katana Sahib. Police have registered a case of sacrilege against the unknown persons.

Upset over the series of incidents of sacrilege in the state, Rajinder Kaur, an SGPC member from Ludhiana, resigned from the membership of the committee today. Meanwhile, several Sikh youths sat on 'dharna' near the residence of Avtar Singh Makkar, president of the SGPC, to express their resentment of the recent incidents. Protesters raised slogans against the Punjab government and Makkar, police said.

-PTI