Amritsar: Radical Sikh groups in Punjab have called for a shutdown in protest against the pardon granted by the Akal Takht to controversial self-styled Godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The head of the Dera Sacha Sauda, Rahim Singh had dressed up as Guru Gobind Singh in 2007, an incident that had hurt sentiments and resulted in him being excommunicated from Guru Panth. He recently apologised to the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion, which was accepted by the clergy.
The decision did not go down well with many and a 12 hour long shutdown was observed in Amritsar, along with other places in the state. Shops remained shut and roads looked deserted amid tight security. “The security measures in the whole city are very good. We have also called for additional force from outside as well. We have covered the whole city to assure the people that we are here to protect them and serve them," said Superintendent of Police, Harvinder Singh.
Residents complained that their work was hampered due to the shutdown. “We are not able to work due to the shutdown till afternoon, which is causing a lot of problems. The shutdown should have been for the whole day as half-day shutdown is hampering our work,” said Maninder Singh. Rahim Singh had earlier grabbed headlines when he made his Bollywood debut with 'Messenger of God' (MSG).
