A day after Dera Sacha Sauda followers carried out a rampage in Punjab and Haryana following Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction in a rape case, several trains have either been cancelled or diverted. Northern Railways spokesperson Neeraj Sharma said that 445 trains have been cancelled including Swarna Shatabdi, the Shan-e-Punjab, the Jammu Rajdhani, Uttar Sampark Kranti Express and the Lucknow-Chandigarh Express.
The Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended its inter-state, night and the Delhi-Lahore bus services. “Around 40 of DTCs night service buses, which run from 9 pm onwards have been suspended,” DTC spokesperson Sanjay Saxena told the Hindustan Times. Bus services to Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Bahadurgarh were also suspended after several vehicles were set on fire.
However, there was no report of fresh violence. The Delhi Police said the situation was under control. “There has been no incident of violence since yesterday [Friday]. We have deployed adequate force,” ANI quoted the police as saying.
Authorities have lifted the curfew in Panchkula, where the trouble had first began. Police officer Pradeep Kumar told the Mint that the area has been cleared of protesters.
However, prohibitory orders are still in place in Rohtak, Panchkula and Sirsa districts. Prohibitory orders are also in place in Ghaziabad, Noida and outskirts of Delhi. A senior police officer told PTI that the orders will be in force till September 8.
Authorities have also issued alert for the National Capital Region. A senior police officer told India Today that security in all bordering areas in Delhi has been tightened. “An alert has been issued in all police stations and sufficient arrangements have been made to tackle any untoward incidents,” said an unidentified police officer.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair an emergency meeting in Delhi on Saturday to review the security situation in states after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction in a rape case prompted his followers to carry out a rampage. Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh and intelligence and security officials will attend the meeting, reported News-18. Thirty people have been killed and more than 250 others were injured in the violence.
Meanwhile, the Haryana Home Department had suspended Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Kumar for a “clerical error” in the order on the imposition of Section 144 in the city. According to reports, Kumar did not mention that gathering of five or more people was not allowed in the city while announcing the order. Instead, it only mentioned that carrying of weapons was prohibited.
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