Army arrives at Dera headquarters in Sirsa, asks devotees to evacuate premises

The army has asked Dera followers to evacuate the headquarters peacefully.

Sirsa: A day after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, leader of Dera Sacha Sauda sect, was convicted of raping two sadhvis (female followers), the Army gheraoed the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa on Saturday morning.

The army has asked Dera followers to evacuate the headquarters peacefully. Several buses have been stationed to transport thousands of followers residing inside the headquarters.

However, the followers are refusing the leave premises.

The Army, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and police personnel have been deployed on site.

At least 31 people died and over 250 were injured after thousands of Dera supporters went on a rampage on Friday, torching vehicles and destroying public properties.

Section 144 has been imposed in several districts of Punjab, Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violence and urged everyone to maintain peace. "The instances of violence today are deeply distressing. I strongly condemn the violence and urge everyone to maintain peace," he said in series of tweets.