The sudden turn of events within the last four days which has made many observers here draw grim parallels with the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clash in Amritsar on Baisakhi Day — considered the spark for the militancy that was to follow — cannot be attributed to merely an action-reaction chain.

For one, the Dera is not known to issue such ads without an occasion — an anniversary or an event. The controversial ad appeared on Sunday featuring a photo of the Dera chief stirring the ‘jaam-e-insaan’ dressed like Guru Gobind Singh who had founded the Khalsa after administering amrit to five of his followers. The provocation was too obvious to be missed.

Significantly, the ad also came just a fortnight before the CBI is scheduled to submit its final report to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the alleged involvement of the Dera chief and some of his aides in cases involving the murder of two persons, including journalist Ram Chander Chattarpati, and alleged sexual molestation of some women in the well-guarded Dera.

The High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry following a petition by Chattarpati’s son complaining against the pace of the Haryana police investigation. The CBI, which sought a three-month extension, was pulled up by the court at the last hearing on April 16 and told to submit its final report by May 28. The court said that five years had passed and no genuine reason had been given by the agency to explain its delay.

... contd.