Sirsa (Haryana): Paramilitary forces were deployed in Sirsa on Sunday to help Haryana Police maintain law and order in this Haryana town after violent clashes between followers of Dera Sacha Sauda sect and the Sikh community. The entire Sirsa town, around 300 km from state capital Chandigarh, has been sealed and no outside vehicles were being allowed in, district officials said.
Services of state road transport buses to and from Sirsa have also been suspended. Curfew in the entire town continued for the second day on Sunday.
Seven companies of paramilitary, including the Central Reserve Police Force and the Rapid Action Force, were deployed in the town. They also took out a flag march with police and district officials.
Security has been tightened in the entire Sirsa district.
Deputy Commissioner J. Ganesan Sunday said all educational institutes, including schools and colleges, would remain closed till Nov 28. Although no violence has been reported Sunday, tension continued to brew between the two sides, police said.
Nearly 2,000 Dera Sacha Sauda followers have been booked for Saturday’s violence, which left at least 12 people injured. Six vehicles were also set on fire. The clash took place at Valmiki Chowk in Sirsa town.
The injured were admitted to various hospitals.
The sect’s followers and the Sikh community have had violent clashes in Punjab in the last four years. (IANS)