Punjab town curfew enters third day, relaxed briefly
By IANSTuesday, January 4, 2011
BHIKHI - The curfew at Bhikhi town of Punjab’s Mansa district was relaxed for three hours Tuesday, but the situation remained tense and an uneasy calm prevailed.
Curfew was imposed in this town Sunday after a group of protesters clashed with police and also damaged at least six vehicles, including a police car.
The district administration relaxed the curfew from 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Tuesday so that residents of the area could come out and buy commodities of daily use.
The curfew was relaxed for one-hour (4.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.) Monday.
“No untoward incident has been reported since yesterday. Everything is totally under control and we are evaluating the situation. Today, we lifted the curfew for three hours,” district police chief Hardyal Singh Mann said here.
The situation had become tense in the town Saturday after a Sikh preacher, Baljit Singh Daduwal, had used some derogatory words for Haryana-based Dera (sect) Sacha Sauda. After this, a huge number of dera followers had gathered at Bhikhi.
However, a group of protesters, believed to be the sect’s followers, clashed with the police while trying to enter the premises of the venue where Daduwal was addressing a gathering here Sunday.
Daduwal, who was arrested by police Monday, was released Tuesday.
Daduwal is a strong critic of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
