Peace prevailed in Punjab and parallel congregations held by the Dera Sacha Sauda sect and Sikh organisations passed off peacefully as the deadline set by the five High Priests for the closure of all sect's centres in the state expired Sunday evening.
Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti reiterated his call for social boycott of followers of the Sirsa-based sect and asked Sikhs to continue their protest peacefully as Dera stand-off persisted for the 14th day on Sunday.
Amidst tight security, the parallel congregations at Sirsa in Haryana and at a Gurdwara in Sangrur in Punjab passed off peacefully with no reports of any untoward incident.
No violence was reported from any part of the state and the situation was peaceful and under control, Punjab's ADGP (Law and Order) Chandershekar said.
At Sangrur, top Sikh religious leaders attended a prayer meeting held in memory of Kanwaljit Singh, a youth, who was killed in the sectarian strife on May 17.
Besides Vedanti, Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib Balwant Singh Nandgarh, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and SAD general secretary Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa paid glowing tributes to the youth on his bhog (10th day ritual) ceremony at Gurdwara Nankiana Sahib.
Representatives of Damdami Taksal and All India Sikh Students Federation were also present.
In Sirsa, where the headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda is located, sect followers gathered in large number to listen to religious discourse of their chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
