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Punjab on High Alert

Chandigarh, Jul 18 (PTI) One person was today killed in a clash between a group of Sikhs and Dera Sacha Sauda supporters in Dabwali town in Haryana’s Sirsa district, prompting police in neighbouring Punjab to go on high alert.
The clash broke out after an altercation between two sides during morning prayers naamcharcha of Dera supporters in Dabwali, about 60 km from Sirsa, Deputy Commissioner V Umashankar said.

“One person belonging to the group of Sikh supporters slipped and fell down and was killed in the brickbatting during the clash,” he said.

Umashankar said that the district administration had not been told about the Dera programme in advance.

“Generally, we are informed about any naamcharcha by the Dera people, but this time we had no information because of which we could not take any action.

“It was a small prayer congregation in which about 30-35 people from Dera side were present and the Sikh group numbered about 50. There was some altercation between the two groups after which they clashed and pelted stones at each other,” he told PTI.

He said tension has been brewing up in Dabwali and Sirsa, the headquarters of the Dera, whose head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is at loggerheads with the Sikhs.

Additional forces including two companies (200 personnel) of Rapid Action Force has been deployed in Sirsa and Dabwali to prevent any untoward incident, he said.

Some Sikhs from Punjab have also reached here and protesters have blocked Sirsa-Bathinda road, sources said.