Even as the acquittal of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati has sparked relief among followers, the dera leadership has instructed its supporters to keep celebrations strictly low-key.
Dera followers have been asked to avoid public gatherings, celebrations or exchange of greetings at Naam Charcha Ghars. The directive was issued shortly after the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Ram Rahim in the case in which he had earlier been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Dera spokesperson Advocate Jitender Khurana said, “It is a moment of great relief for all of us. However, the sangats (followers) have been asked to keep it low key. There will be no gatherings, celebrations or exchange of pleasantries at Naam Charcha Ghars.”
Followers have also been instructed not to circulate or publish celebratory material. “Strict instructions have been issued not to publish extra copies. Only news clippings are being shared through web links,” a follower said on condition of anonymity.
The acquittal has once again brought the controversial dera into the spotlight ahead of the upcoming elections.
The dera and Sikh institutions have remained at loggerheads for years. Tensions escalated in 2007 when Ram Rahim appeared in an attire resembling a Sikh Guru, triggering widespread protests.
Ram Rahim has also been accused of involvement in the 2015 sacrilege incidents in Punjab in which pages of the Guru Granth Sahib were desecrated. The Punjab government had earlier alleged that he played a role in instigating those acts.
The dera enjoys significant influence in the southern Malwa region, particularly in Sangrur, Patiala, Mansa, Barnala and Bathinda districts. However, owing to repeated controversies surrounding the dera, political parties and leaders have largely preferred to maintain distance from it in recent years.
Soon after news of the acquittal surfaced, hectic activity was witnessed in WhatsApp groups of various Naam Charcha Ghars in Patiala, Sangrur and other areas.
Former professor of political science at Arya College and founder-director of the UGC-funded Shaheed Bhagat Singh Studies Centre, P.S. Bhogal, said the acquittal could have political overtones in the run-up to the assembly elections. “It remains to be seen how the current situation unfolds and what its political fallout will be, especially in terms of how political parties position themselves,” he said