Badal has sought the intervention of the President, Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to punish the guilty.

Tohra has announced the setting up of a 3-member committee headed by SGPC senior vice-president S S Bhaur to visit the spot.

Reports had appeared in a section of the press that the educational institution and a place of worship were attacked by a mob near Dehradun. The local authorities failed to react in time.

Badal said Punjabis from all walks of life settled there had made significant contribution for the development of the area at the cost of their personal comforts. They had always lived in harmony with the people of other regions.

He made a forceful plea to the authorities in Delhi and Lucknow to check the recurrence of such incidents to save the situation.

Badal is deputing a high-level delegation led by a senior minister to visit Dehradun and help in defusing the situation.

Tohra alleged the tacit involvement of the Uttar Pradesh government and charged the centre with ignoring the situation. He said the tragedy was all the greater as UP was being ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the coalition partner of the Akali Dal.

He pointed out he had earlier warned the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister about the deteriorating situation in view of the tension building up on the Udham Singh Nagar issue.