Sikhs take out protest-march in Jamshedpur

Hundreds of Sikhs wearing black took out a march in Jamshedpur to express their anger over Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's alleged provocative imitation of Guru Govind Singh recently which has led to widespread violence in Punjab and other states.

The men wearing black turbans and women black dupattas started their march from the Sakchi Gurdwara and marched through the steets to finish near the office of the East Singhbhum district deputy commissioner.

Holding the march under the banner of the Central Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (CGPC), the protesters shouted slogans against the Dera chief and demanded his arrest before handing over a memorandum, addressed to the Punjab chief minister, to the deputy commissioner, Nitin Madan Kulkarni.

Later the protestors assembled at the busy Sakchi round-about and set on fire the effigy of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The CGPC chief, Shailendra Singh, warned that the Sikh community in Jamshedpur would stage a demostration in front of the house of Punjab chief minister if no action was taken against the Dera chief.

A copy of the memorandum was also submitted to the president and Jharkhand chief minister.