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On Saturday, thousands of Sikhs gathered in large numbers at Shaheed Bhai Harmandir Singh's native town of Dabwali to pay tribute to the Sikh Nation's third Shaheed in the anti-Sauda Dera agitation.
Clashes had broken out between the Dera followers and Sikhs over dera followers charcha on Friday. Though curfew remained in force on Saturday, tension was palpable as Harminder's body was consigned to flames amidst tight security.
Earlier, among others, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Shiromani Akali Dal (A) leader Simranjit Singh Mann and Khalsa Action Committee leader Daljit Singh Bittu, visited the Gurdwara where Bhai Harminder Singh's body was kept.
Initially, the Sikhs had demanded that all Dera followers who had beaten Singh to death be arrested before his cremation. However, after a round of talks with the district administration, the last rites were carried out around noon when the curfew was relaxed for two hours.