anjivan Bureau / Chandigarh : Inspite of 32 losses an uneasy calm prevailed in Haryana, the epicentre of Friday’s violence triggered by the rape conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
“Situation is tense, but under control now,” a senior official claim on Saturday.
The violence that claimed 32 lives has left locals in shock and anguish, with many questioning why the authorities failed to assess and control the situation in time.
“We have been living in a state of terror. On Friday and over the past few days we have been wondering if this is Panchkula or a city in some war-torn country,” a youth, who resides here, said while recalling the ordeal.
Curfew had been clamped at several places in Haryana and Punjab after the violence and officials said that relaxation had been given at most places on Saturday morning to allow people to buy essentials.
Flag marches were being conducted at many places in the two states by the forces, including the paramilitary, officials said.
After his conviction, Gurmeet Ram Rahim was lodged in a make-shift jail at Sunaria in Rohtak amid tight security.
In Panchkula, 29 people had died and over 250 were injured after the Dera Sacha Sauda followers went on a rampage. Over 60 police personnel, including two IPS officers, were also injured.
Residents, who had virtually locked themselves in their houses on Friday after the Dera followers set afire vehicles and government property and clashed with the security forces, called it a nightmare.
“How could thousands of people arrive here despite prohibitory orders under Section 144,” said the youth.
Another resident, a senior citizen, said he had never seen anything like this before in Panchkula, a peaceful town overlooking the Shivalik hills in the backdrop.
“We were held like captives inside our homes because of the situation, which in the first place could have been avoided. Our children are still in a state of fear; they are scared to come out now. Who is responsible for this?” he asked.
Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed in some towns in Punjab too on Saturday morning where it was clamped as a precautionary measure on Friday.
Know about the facts
*Toll in the Sirsa violence reaches 6 as Dera followers take two more bodies to the local hospital
*In Muktsar, unconfirmed reports say four of the dead in Friday’s violence are from Muktsar district
*In Moga. administration orders relaxation in curfew from 10 am to 11 am
*In Bathinda, curfew relaxed from 9 am to noon
*In Muktsar, curfew lifted from Malout town; Army, however, present there
*In Patiala, officials holding meeting; to discuss review in curfew that was imposed on Friday evening
*Kurukshetra administration takes preventive control of 11 naam charcha ghars in the district. DC Sumedha Kataria confirms recovery of more than 5,000 lathis and stocks of the sharp-edged stones from these sites
*To clamp down on overpricing of essential commodities being sold loose to cash in on the rush, Bathinda administration announces action against anyone found charging more than the price
*The sentence to be announced in the Dera case on Monday likely to be through video-conferencing