The situation in now under control in most parts of Haryana, including Panchkula town, where violence erupted on Friday following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.
In a late night press conference in Chandigarh, Haryana DGP BS Sandhu said, except for Sirsa, where the Dera headquarters are situated, the situation in rest of the state is under control. He said, all Dera supporters have moved out of Panchkula and curfew in the town has been lifted.
The DGP, however, said certain restrictions are still in place. He said, 550 people have been rounded up and some arms and ammunition recovered.
At least 31 people were killed and over 250 injured in violence in Haryana and Punjab following a CBI court’s verdict against the Dera Chief in Panchkula. Army was called out in Sirsa to control the situation.
In Punjab, curfew was imposed in Patiala and Fazilka. In Fatehabad, Ambala, Jagadhari, Yamunanagar and Sangrur, all petrol pumps and other establisments were closed due to violence. Scores of jawans, including 15,000 paramilitary personnel, were deployed in the sensitive areas across the states.
Prohibitory orders were also imposed in all but two districts of Delhi, nine districts of Uttar Pradesh and a district of Rajasthan.
Official sources said, no casualty was reported from Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and no curfew was imposed.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called a security review meeting today in the wake of violence.
Sources said, top Home Ministry officials, Chiefs of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies will attend the meeting in New Delhi to take stock of the situation. Mr Singh spoke to the Chief Ministers of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and assured them central assistance to deal with any situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the law and order situation in Haryana with the National Advisor Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi. In a series of tweets, Mr Modi said, the law and order situation is being closely monitored. He urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required.
President Ram Nath Kovind and the Prime Minister have appealed to all citizens to maintain peace.
The quantum of sentence to the Dera Chief will be pronounced on Monday.
In Uttar Pradesh, educational institutions are closed in Baghpat district. Security has been beefed up at Ashram of the Dera in the district. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in the bordering districts of the State. Section 144 has been imposed in Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, Mathura Shamali and Baghpat districts.
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