Namdharis clash over succession

Nobody injured but cops keep close watch

Two groups clashed in west Delhi’s Kirti Nagar on Thursday over the issue of succession to head the Namdhari sect. Nobody was injured, police confirmed.

Though some locals tried to pacify rival groups, heated arguments continued in Namdhari colony till late Thursday evening.

Police personnel were deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident, but no case had been registered till late evening.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the clash was over the still simmering dispute on the leadership of Namdhari Sikhs after the death of Satguru Jagjit Singh in December 2012.

He had no children and one of his nephews Thakur Uday Singh took over the reins of the sect, saying he had the blessings of the Satguru's wife.

But rivals swearing allegiance to another nephew, Thakur Dalip Singh, continued to honour the dead guru. 

Some of them have installed a portrait of Satguru Jagjit Singh at the Kirti Nagar gurdwara.
“Nobody has approached us till now, still we are keeping a close watch on the situation,” said a police officer. Locals claimed that the some of the people were carrying arms.

“It is sacrilegious to enter a holy place like gurdwara carrying guns. Security must be deployed at the places where chances of communal unrest are high,” an eyewitness said.