The daylong shutdown in Punjab remained relatively peaceful barring sporadic incidents of violence in neighbouring Haryana where clashes between the Sikhs and the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda sect left 10 people injured.
Chandigarh, May 23: The daylong shutdown in Punjab remained relatively peaceful barring sporadic incidents of violence in neighbouring Haryana where clashes between the Sikhs and the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda sect left 10 people injured.
Business and educational facilities remained closed for the entire day as security forces patrolled the streets of major towns in the State.
Director general of Police, Punjab N P S Aulakh said the bandh was by and large peaceful with no report of any major untoward incident.
Yesterday, during a shut down called by the Akal Takht to protest against the alleged 'blasphemous' act by the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh, the Sikhs clashed with police in Punjab and burnt effigies of Ram Raheem Singh.
The clashes began last week when the Dera's chief appeared in advertisement dressed up as Guru Gobind Singh, the revered 17th century Sikh guru.
While the Takht had demanded an apology from the Dera Sacha Sauda chief for his ''blasphemous'' act, the Dera refused to apologise and maintained that it had already expressed regret over the issue.
The Dera sect, which has tens of thousands of followers, says it is a social organisation that believes in the oneness of God and does not adhere to a particular faith, although its leader wears a turban and has a long beard in the Sikh style.
ANI