Punjab riots after guru Sant Ramanand murdered
May 25th, 2009 - 4:49 pm ICT by John Le Fevre
Thousands of angry protesters have taken to the streets damaging public property and setting trains on fire in almost all towns and cities in the Indian state of Punjab after a Sikh guru was killed by a rival group in Austria.
Guru Sant Ramanand was attacked by six men armed with knives and a pistol during clashes at a religious ceremony at a temple on Sunday in Vienna and died from his wounds in hospital early Monday.
Another preacher Sant Nirajnan Das, who was among 15 other people injured, is said to be stable.
Both the preachers were from a low-caste Sikh sect which has a large following in parts of Punjab and had traveled to Vienna to conduct a special service.
At least four people were injured when police opened fire at protesters who attacked a police station in Jalandhar.
In Jalandhar city the army has also marched through the streets and imposed a curfew in four major towns.
The rioting has prompted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to appeal for calm.
- Vienna police investigating murder of Sant Rama Nand shot at - Jun 15, 2009
- Sikhs rioting in Punjab on news of Sant Ramanand murder prompts curfew - May 26, 2009
- Curfew in Hoshiarpur - May 25, 2009
- Vienna violence against Sikhs still agitating Punjab leaders - Jun 02, 2009
- Orphans terrorized, thousands stranded in Punjab Sikh riots - May 26, 2009
- Akal Takht asks SGPC to send team to probe Vienna shooting - Aug 12, 2009
- Indian Sikh guru dies in Austrian gurdwara attack, six arrested (Second Lead) - May 25, 2009
- One dead as Punjab erupts over Vienna gurdwara killing (Roundup) - May 25, 2009
- State funeral for sect leader as thousands attend in Punjab (Lead) - Jun 04, 2009
- Curfew relaxed briefly in violence-hit Punjab, Badal calls for all-party meet - May 26, 2009
- Delhi-Lahore bus stopped, curfew imposed in Ludhiana - May 25, 2009
- Punjab limps back to normalcy, but tension persists (Second Lead) - May 26, 2009
- Tension, curfew continue in parts of Punjab - May 26, 2009
- Fresh violence in Punjab after sect leader dies in Vienna (Lead) - May 25, 2009
- Indian Sikh guru dies in Austrian gurdwara clash, six held (Lead) - May 25, 2009
Tags: angry protesters, caste, clashes, curfew, early monday, indian prime minister, indian prime minister manmohan singh, jalandhar, manmohan, manmohan singh, police station, preachers, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, religious ceremony, rival group, sikh guru, six men, state of punjab, towns and cities