Amarinder unlikely to win support of sects soon

Lily

B.R
Staff member
Chandigarh November 30:

Though former Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh has announced his support to various religious sects of Punjab, they are not keen to get swayed by his overtures.

They are going to act cautiously, as various political parties are going to approach them for their support in view of the coming assembly poll in 2012. They had voted en bloc for the Congress in the last assembly poll.

It is learnt that the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda have told Captain Amarinder that when they were facing troubles in Punjab and many of Dera sites and ashrams were being attacked due to political conspiracies, the Congress leadership did not come to their rescue at all.

Dera sources disclosed that as Manpreet has come out with a kind of third front in Punjab politics, they will never go to the Congress. However, about Manpreet they will think. One of the very prominent Dera members stated that in Punjab around 1 lakh Dera followers play a very pivotal role in the state politics. In 2007 assembly election, Dera followers had supported the Congress due which they succeeded in winning 45 seats in Punjab. "But after winning the seats, they forgot us," said a Dera follower.

It is also learnt that in the formation of Punjab government these sects have played major roles. Since 2001, various sects have become politically important in Punjab and they belong to sects identified as Udasis, Nirmala Sadhus, Sant Nirankari Mandal, Dera Sacha Sauda, and Radha Soami Satsang. Captain Amrinder Singh during his first day as the PPCC president had promised Dera freedom from discrimination. With an eye on the votes of Dera and other sect followers, he had said that he would try to bring them into the socio-political mainstream of the State as they stood ostracized today due to the vindictive politics of the ruling regime.

"We should not discriminate against them on any account. They play a very significant role in the political scenario of Punjab. Deras are a very integral part of the religion but Akalis are misusing religion in politics... The time has come to bring them into the social and political mainstream," Captain Amarinder had said. He had said that he himself would go to Dera Sacha Sauda followers, Nirankaris and Radha Soami followers and would ask for their votes. He said the Akalis always tried to separate them from the Sikh culture but they belonged to the Sikh religion and held a very important position in the community.ely to win support of sects soon.

 
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