Since Friday morning, I have been thinking about Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

At the outset, it needs to emphasized that while Bhindranwale was a religious leader of the militant variety, who shot into prominence in the early 80s in troubled Punjab, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is a convicted rapist and the comparison between the two does not extend beyond exploring the unholy culture of the politician-godmen nexus in India.

Bhindranwale was cultivated by the Congress under Sanjay Gandhi and Zail Singh and goaded to take on the Akalis. Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar in his autobiography 'Beyond the Lines' describes how eventually, Bhindranwale went out of hand and turned into a Frankenstein. And one so powerful that by the time Indira Gandhi realised that he had to go, nothing less than the Indian Army would do to flush him out of Akal Takht inside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

In the end, she ended up committing a costly mistake by sending in the Army into the revered Sikh shrine in June 1984. Bhindranwale was killed but the anger over Operation Bluestar cost Indira Gandhi her life four months later.

Though obviously not a militant like Bhindranwale, his motivation also seems to be use political benevolence to further his own interests.

Is Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh the Bhindranwale of the 21st century? Though obviously not a militant like Bhindranwale, his motivation also seems to be use political benevolence to further his own interests. A man encouraged by leaders of the BJP because it suited the party's votebank politics. A man so powerful that the state went weak in the knees when challenged by his private army.

That the state of Haryana deliberately bungled in imposing Section 144 before the verdict, sending a cold invitation to murderers, asking them to take over.

A man so powerful that the state went weak in the knees when challenged by his private army.

Compare the two. Bhindranwale was named as a suspect in the conspiracy to kill Nirankari Baba in 1980 and later was arrested in the case relating to the murder of journalist Lala Jagat Narain. He was subsequently released on bail after protests broke out, with the then Union Home minister Zail Singh declaring in Parliament, no less, that there was no evidence against Bhindranwale. That elevated him into a hero.

Zail Singh had reason to be beholden to Bhindranwale. He had campaigned for the Congress in three constituencies in the 1980 elections. The following year, the Congress asked Bhindranwale to campaign even in the elections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak committee.

Gurmeet Singh has been convicted in the case of rape of two Sadhvis. There is another case pending against him for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati who peeled the mask off his rapist face. But you have Zail Singh-inspired Haryana chief minister ML Khattar talking about the `shraddha' (devotion) of his premis and BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj berating the court for going by the version of the victims rather than the beliefs of his five crore devotees.

When history repeats itself, it is basically mocking you for not learning any lessons.

Golden Temple and Panchkula are what happen when the political class sleeps with persons of dubious character. They happen because they see in the likes of Bhindranwale and Gurmeet Singh a route to checkmate political rivals. They happen because the politicians allow criminals to pimp the system.

Who is to account for the loss of 30 lives and damage to public property on Friday? Getting rid of Khattar would be the easiest thing to do but his scalp would serve little. Khattar is a mere manifestation of the extra-marital affair politicians cutting across party lines, have with the likes of Gurmeet Singh. They court him because the self-styled Godman promises to give them the Viagra of the EVM with the 50 million votes of his followers he has at his command.

Like the Congress tried to use Bhindranwale to neutralise the Akali-Janata government that came to power in Punjab in 1977, Gurmeet Singh was used by the BJP against the Congress. He endorsed the BJP in both the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the Haryana assembly elections in the same year. He also supported the saffron party in Punjab against Amarinder Singh's Congress but that was not good enough to make it win.

But it is not as if the other parties are not complicit. In 2009, the Dera chief extended his support to the Congress which was his return gift for the Z plus security cover the UPA provided to him in 2007. All through 2002, Chhatrapati was publishing stories about the charges of rape on Gurmeet Singh. Political activist Yogendra Yadav recalls how on 20 October 2002, at a public function, Chhatrapati described in detail the threats he was receiving. Four days later, he was shot. Yadav says even though Chhatrapati was fighting for his life in hospital for nearly three weeks, the Haryana police under OP Chautala did not take a dying declaration.

In short, the rapist had hung a price tag on all politicians, bought off the shelf.

Incidentally, Gurmeet Singh was born on 15 August 1967. When he turned 50 this year, Haryana Education minister Ram Bilas Sharma visited the Dera chief and gifted him Rs 51 lakh from his ministry's discretionary quota "to promote sports''. Footage of Sharma prostrating before Singh is doing the rounds on social media.

In short, the rapist had hung a price tag on all politicians, bought off the shelf.

Religion is a private affair and my beliefs are my business. The problem comes when a fraud of a spiritual guru who is a rapist on the side, showcases his proximity to the political powers by sharing the stage with them at public functions. Using his charity work as front that targets the socially deprived in the caste matrix, the message that goes down the line is that the godman is a touch-me-not, political-proofed by the company he keeps.

Khattar did not dare to take on Gurmeet Singh because he was burdened under the weight of the political support he had received in 2014. In the `I scratch your back and you scratch mine' cosy arrangement, Khattar could not take a chance with Gurmeet's overgrown nails digging deep. Public property and innocent lives are a smaller price to pay to retain convenient friendship.

Gurmeet Singh - and I refuse to lend him the holy names of Ram and Rahim - is not the only unholy man who has given trust and belief a bad name. Asaram is cooling his heels behind bars in a sexual assault case as is Rampal who is in prison for murder and sedition. After Rampal's arrest, the police found weapons, bullet-proof jackets and cartridges in lockers at his ashram in Hisar. Nithyananda in Karnataka also faced similar charges of sexual assault. All of them had politicians on speed dial.

So the next time, a politician shares the stage with a Godman, be very suspicious. Because the cheesy jugalbandi will claim you and me as collateral damage. In their attempt to provide political oxygen to each other, India will be shortchanged.

Gurmeet Singh's movie was titled 'Messenger of God'. With messengers like him, India would be better off being a land of atheists.

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Everyone thinks that dogs worship their owners – viewing them as gods of some sort. While that may be true in the majority of cases, it isn't always so. As a veterinarian who has focused on animal behavior and the human/canine bond for 30 years, I can confirm that sometimes, no matter what, a dog and his person just aren't going to get along.

Take Ruckus, an adopted Wheaton terrier with an attitude. He pretty much hated his new owner, Rick, and was none too warm and fuzzy with Rick's wife, Cindy. Although Rick was a terrific guy by human standards, Ruckus gave him hell – much the same as he had done with his previous male owner. It started slowly with some space guarding and territoriality. It eventually got so bad that Rick had to call on his way home to tell Cindy to confine Ruckus for fear of being attacked.

To Ruckus, Rick was persona non grata in his own home. It all ended very badly one day when Ruckus was tied up outside while Rick was mowing the lawn. Ruckus's constant lunging eventually dislodged the tethering post and he flew at Rick, teeth bared and intent on committing grievous bodily harm. A wrestling match ensued; the police and animal control were called while Rick hung on with Ruckus in a choke hold. You really don't want to know how this story ended: not well for Ruckus, I'm afraid.

Rick adored Ruckus, but it was one-way love. Ruckus truly hated him and engaged in what I called unidirectional aggression. I later found out that unidirectional aggression is a recognized entity in people as well as other animal species.

While there are dogs like Ruckus who frankly dislike their owner, there are others who get no pleasure out of living under the same roof as them. They merely tolerate certain people because they have no other choice. After adoption, these hapless hounds just find themselves having to endure uninteresting or punitive owners. Some withdraw and remain in a permanent funk. Others simply accept this shoddy treatment as the norm and carry on as best they can.

In some cases, the dog may have good reason to be nonplussed with his owner: mistreatment will weaken and even seriously damage the human-animal bond. For example, a Brittany intended for hunting was constantly being trained by his owner using an electric shock collar. One day, the dog hid from him and lay quaking under the bed. When the man tried to drag him out, the dog bit him. You could say the man got his just desserts. The behavior the dog showed was fear aggression – directed toward the owner.

Curiously, this direct association between harsh treatment by an owner would not explain Ruckus' situation because Rick never mistreated him. It seems most likely that Ruckus had been seriously abused by a man in the critical period of his development – certainly the within the first three to four months of life – and he never forgot it (almost like PTSD).

A German shepherd I wrote about in my book "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" was fearful of, but not aggressive to, his male owner. In this case, similar to the Ruckus situation, it was not what the male owner had done to the dog but what other men had done to the dog previously that carried over as a dislike of all men.

But this dog's reaction was not proactive and aggressive like Ruckus'. Rather, it manifest as pure fear with no aggression – probably because of the dog's naturally retiring temperament. When the man came home, the dog ran and hid and never appeared again until he left. The dog did not interact with him at all – except under one discrete circumstance.

When the man's wife, a diabetic, became hypoglycemic at night (a very dangerous situation), the dog would run to the husband's side of the bed and tug at the bedclothes until he woke up and realized the problem. The dog's love for the wife caused him to overcome his fear and summon help when it was really needed. Bravery is not about having no fear but having the grit to fight through it. By this standard, the dog was as brave as they come – although he still would have preferred that the male owner did not exist at all.

So when you hear about dogs being "man's best friend" and supplying "unconditional love" – that's true only if the person adopts a compatible pet and invests time and attention, showing the dog it's understood and appreciated. Long walks, plenty of fun, regular meals, clear communication, good leadership and affection should create the dog of everyone's dreams.

It's another instance where "the love you take is equal to the love you make," to quote the Beatles. Mean-spirited owners, or those who have been duped into using punitive training methods, do not enjoy the wonderful bond that can exist – and their dogs do not appreciate them either.

Nicholas Dodman, Professor Emeritus of Behavioral Pharmacology and Animal Behavior, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the titular role of a contract killer, and directed by Kushan Nandy, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is a crime thriller set in the backdrop of the rustic landscape of Uttar Pradesh. The plot is strewn with morally corrupt characters who in their struggle for survival have learned to kill as easily as they breathe.

The film first came in the news when actress Chitrangada Singh quit the project halfway, citing discomfort with shooting intimate sequences with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Singh was subsequently replaced by model turned actress Bidita Bag mostly known for her work in Bangla cinema. Recently, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz got engulfed in another major controversy when the former CBFC Chief Pahlaj Nihalani demanded as many as 48 cuts despite issuing an A-certificate to the film. The film was later cleared by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal with just eight minor cuts.

Despite the high body count, the subtle use of dark humour prevents the movie from becoming too serious.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performance in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz may remind some of the character that made him a household name: Faisal Khan of Gangs of Wasseypur. Siddiqui is known to get into the skin of his characters and he never fails to surprise. While the performances in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz are solid all around, it is Siddiqui who carries the movie on his shoulders. We also see him in an all-new avatar as a lover— his sizzling chemistry with actress Bidita Bag is a major highlight of the film.

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is a raw and gritty crime thriller that constantly plays with one's expectations. While comparisons to Gangs of Wasseypur are inevitable, it bears a much closer resemblance (in terms of style/themes) to films like Ishqiya, Omkara, and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster. The film also pays homage to the Western genre, in particular Sergio Leone's epic Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Also, it would be remiss to overlook the influence of Bhojpuri cinema on Babumoshai Bandookbaaz. And despite the high body count, the subtle use of dark humour prevents the movie from becoming too serious. Babumoshai Bandookbaaz offers some very interesting conversations (the dialogues written by Ghalib Asad Bhopali are an absolute treat) but nothing can top the engaging exchange between two sharpshooters talking about poverty and how underpaid they are. There is a rather funny scenario in the movie involving a cop and his pesky wife that's been done quite neatly.

However, as engaging as the film is, it is alarmingly high on violence and cuss words and so those repelled by gore and explicit language are better off giving it a miss.

Rating: B

A version of this review was first published in A Potpourri of Vestiges.

There is no greater feeling of vulnerability, insecurity, and fundamental powerlessness than to be a "miniscule minority" in majoritarian state. In 2012, a bench of India's Supreme Court taught its sexual minorities this bitter lesson by reinstating Article 377, a Victorian law that criminalises certain sexual activities between consenting adults.

It was unclear why the court chose to overrule a progressive and humane judgement and disregard the fundamental principles of India's Constitution. Their rationale for doing so was ambiguous and mostly untenable. The court, the Constitution stood diminished, as did we all.

It terms the rights of India' sexual minorities as those "founded on sound constitutional doctrine." It terms these rights as those that dwell in privacy and dignity and constitute the essence of liberty and freedom.

Five years later, an incredible, forthright and remarkable judgement has arrived, dismissing all such precedents. A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled remarkably in favour of individual privacy stating that "the right of privacy is a fundamental right. It is a right which protects the inner sphere of the individual from interference from both State, and non-State actors and allows the individuals to make autonomous life choices." Interpreting privacy at numerous levels, this judgement poses a question mark on the government's coercive data collection efforts, placing individual privacy above state control except in certain circumstances.

The judgement could not have come at a better time. India, the republic, and its founding values have been in grave crisis. At one end is a regressive growing majority determined to stamp out the diversity, freedom and openness which have defined India and on the other side is a shrinking group of voices pushing back to keep what little remains of this country's founding values.

The judgement is significant in numerous ways. It asserts that it is not possible for an individual to enjoy a meaningful life with dignity without the right to privacy. The judgement terms it as "one of those cherished rights, which every civilised society governed by rule of law always recognises in every human being." By doing so, it places the onus on society and the state to recognise such rights in order to maintain and preserve the dignity of an individual.

For India's "minuscule" queer community, it brings hope. The verdict specifically mentions the regressive 2012 Supreme Court judgement terming it "not a sustainable basis to deny the right to privacy." Going further still the judgement states that the certain rights are elevated so that they can be beyond the "disdain of majorities". Thereby, placing individual dignity, liberty and freedom above majority opinion, mainstream ideas or popular beliefs.

It makes individual dignity the fundamental basis of the nation. India is not supreme until its people are.

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the judgement is when it terms "sexual orientation" an essential attribute of "identity" and "privacy". It goes further and terms "discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation" as deeply offensive to the "dignity and self-worth of the individual." Pushing against the growing conservatism in India by invoking this line of argument the court reminds us that the right to individual privacy and to desire is fundamental in the Constitution. It terms the rights of India' sexual minorities as those "founded on sound constitutional doctrine." It terms these rights as those that dwell in privacy and dignity and constitute the essence of liberty and freedom. In essence, it argues that sexual orientation must be protected and lies at the heart of the fundamental rights guaranteed by India's Constitution under Articles 14, 15 and 21.

The court falls short of reading down Section 377 as it is pending consideration before another bench. Philosophically though, it has been struck down in more definitive way than one could have hoped. It now remains to be seen when the plea is to be heard.

India's current politicians and their supporters disguised as nationalists could learn a thing or two from the judgement when it states that the unity and integrity of any nation cannot survive "unless the dignity of every individual citizen is guaranteed." It makes individual dignity the fundamental basis of the nation. India is not supreme until its people are.

As India's minuscule minorities wait in anticipation, perhaps we can find solace in words from the Bhagavad Gita that the judgement quotes: "That each age and each generation brings with it the challenges and tribulations of the times. But that Supreme spirit of Justice manifests itself in different eras, in different continents and in different social situations, as different values to ensure that there always exists the protection and preservation of certain eternally cherished rights and ideals." Amen!

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Singh would regularly rape female disciples, who referred to it as "pitaji's maafi", according to a report in The Times of India. The TOI report quoted the statements given by the two sadhvis who complained against Singh for raping them. Singh was convicted in the 15-year-old rape case on Friday by a special CBI court.

According to the complainants, Singh would regularly rape female disciples inside his "gufa" (cave) and other women followers would be reportedly asked to stand guard. One of the complainants in the case told the court that she had been asked by other disciples if she had been granted "maafi" by the sect leader, but at the time she didn't realise that they were referring to rape.

Both the complainants told the court that they were raped in August and September 1999. The brother of one of the survivors was later reportedly murdered for trying to get justice for his sister.

Shortly after Singh, 50, was convicted of rape and criminal intimidation on Friday, he was taken to a make-shift jail at a police training centre in Rohtak.

"Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been put in (special jail at) PTC Sunaria," Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar told PTI, adding, tight security arrangements have been made.

Judge Jagdeep Singh of CBI special court at Panchkula convicted the self-styled godman and said the quantum of sentence will be pronounced on August 28, CBI counsel H P S Verma said.

Immediately after his conviction, followers of the Sirsa based Dera went on rampage and clashed with security personnel leaving many dead and injured.

"Tight security arrangements have been put in place in Rohtak," the DC said.

Meanwhile, CBI counsel Verma said that Gurmeet Ram Rahim was accompanied by his daughter when he reached the courtroom in Panchkula after travelling from the sect headquarters at Sirsa.

At the time of court pronouncing him guilty in the 2002 case, the sect chief appeared "calm and composed", the CBI counsel said.

(With PTI inputs)

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Gurmeet Singh, the 50-year-old self-styled godman who is the chief of religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda, is reportedly being given preferential treatment by the state police and administration after he was convicted of rape and criminal intimidation on Friday.

According to reports, Singh's jail is an air-conditioned room with access to bottled mineral water, and he has been allowed an assistant to help him in prison. Shortly after Singh was pronounced guilty by a special CBI court in a 15-year-old rape case, the 50-year-old was flown in a helicopter to his prison--a special make-shift jail inside a police training centre in Rohtak, around 70 kilometres from Delhi.

"From arranging a special helicopter to providing an air-conditioned room and helping in using facilities meant for police officers, the Khattar government is extending all help to the lawfully disgraced Dera chief even after his conviction in such a serious crime as rape," a police source, who saw some of these things happen on Friday and Saturday, told IANS. "This is appalling."

ALSO READ: While Haryana Burns, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Taken To Jail In A Helicopter

"Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been put in (special jail at) PTC Sunaria," Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar told PTI, adding that tight security arrangements have been made.

A woman named Honeypreet, who is reported to be Singh's adopted daughter, accompanied the convicted Dera chief to prison, taking along bags and suitcases in the special helicopter used to fly him from the court to the jail. The helicopter was sent from the police lines complex in Panchkula.

Reports suggested that the Dera chief's security attacked police officers when they tried to treat him like a regular criminal.

"A couple of senior officers, who tried to take the Dera chief to task and treat him like any other criminal after his conviction were physically assaulted by his (sect chief's) security," an unnamed police source told IANS.

"One senior officer was slapped and other one was pushed in the presence of other top officers. The Haryana Police had to detain his security for some time to take him into its custody following the conviction," the police officer said.

He was reported to have been first taken to a police guesthouse, and shifted to his "jail room" later in the evening on Friday.

"The guest house which is situated in the (Sunaria) jail complex has been declared a jail till further orders," Haryana Jail Minister Krishan Lal Panwar toldThe Indian Express. He claimed this was because of "space constraints".

A senior Haryana police officer denied reports of preferential treatment. "Some channels and papers are reporting on special treatment to Ram Rahim. I clarify he is in Sunaria Jail, not in a guesthouse," the officer told ANI, referring to the police training centre in Sunaria.

The sect leader has enjoyed several benefits under the Haryana government. Singh had openly announced support for the BJP in the 2014 elections, and urged millions of his followers in the region to vote for the saffron party. The BJP, for the first time, came to power in Haryana on its own in the October 2014 assembly elections.

Since then, Singh received several favours from the Manohar Lal Khattar government. Three months ago, at an event in Karnal, CM Khattar had announced tax exemption for six months on the film 'Jattu Engineer', which stars Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

PTI reported that the state's Health and Sports minister Anil Vij had donated ₹50 lakh from his discretionary fund to the sect for promoting rural games. None of these games are played at the national or international level.

Another Haryana Minister Manish Grover too had announced ₹11 lakh to the Dera sports village.

The Dera chief, enjoyed 'Z' category security, and on the day of his conviction, he travelled in a convoy that included several SUVs. The self-styled godman, who is used to a life of ultra luxury and ostentatious public appearances, was accompanied by a number of his own security guards in the cavalcade.

Since the violence following Singh's conviction, Haryana CM Khattar has admitted that there were lapses but asserted appropriate action was being taken.

"This should not have happened," he said.

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Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is not the first self-styled godman found breaking the law. Other "gurus" in India have been accused of rape, murder, cheating, and a variety of other crimes. Here are some religious and spiritual leaders who were arrested:

Sant Rampal

Just a day before Gurmeet Singh was convicted of rape, a court in Haryana deferred its verdict on criminal charges of sedition, murder, attempt to murder, etc against Sant Rampal. The founder of Satlok Ashram was arrested in 2014.

Asaram Bapu

The religious leader was arrested in September 2013 under allegations of rape, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation. The 76-year-old has remained in prison since then.

Swami Nithyananda

The 40-year-old spiritual leader was arrested in 2010 after allegations of rape, criminal intimidation and cheating were made against him. Fresh charges of rape were levelled against him in 2012, leading to a second arrest.

Swami Bhimanand

Shreemurath Dwivedi, known as Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale, was arrested in 2010 for running a 500-crore sex racket at his ashram.

Nirmal Baba

Spiritual leader Nirmal Baba was accused of evading ₹3.5-crore service tax in 2014.

Swami Vikasanand

This swami from Jabalpur was arrested in 2006 for sexually abusing minor girls and making pornographic films. Around 60 such films were found in his possession at the time of arrest. He was subsequently jailed.

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Anti-fascists promote acceptance of a diverse, multicultural world. Right-wing extremists reject the diverse reality of modern life.

For the extreme right, politics is ultimately steeped in the irrational, powered by a mood of victimhood, fear of otherness and a racist vision of a 'purified' world.

There are many ways to be an anti-fascist without having to resort to violence. But this needs to be done with care.

PANCHKULA/SIRSA--The Haryana government today suspended the DCP of Panchkula over yesterday's violence that erupted following the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, as the situation in the state remained tense but under control.

The Army, meanwhile, said it has no immediate plan of entering Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters in Sirsa and that it is focusing on maintaining law and order, reacting to reports that it had entered the premises.

The death toll in the violence and arson by the frenzied followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, rose to 32 today with two more deaths reported from government-run Sirsa Civil Hospital.

The Army, meanwhile, said it has no immediate plan of entering Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters in Sirsa.

"Two more deaths have occurred today. The death toll has increased to four," said a hospital control room official in Sirsa. Panchkula, a suburb of Chandigarh and the epicentre of violence, accounted for 28 deaths.

Baldev Raj Mahajan, Haryana's Advocate General, submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that there have been "thirty-two casualties in the state of Haryana out of which 28 are in Panchkula". The Union Home Ministry earlier in the day said the death toll was 31.

"It is submitted that out of twenty-eight dead bodies(in Panchkula) one has been identified. The remaining so far remained unidentified. Arrests of as many as 524 persons have been made in Panchkula, 24 vehicles have been seized, five pistols with 79 rounds; besides, 2 rifles with 52 rounds were recovered. Moreover, iron rods, dandas, hockey sticks and ten petrol bombs were also recovered.

"Eight FIRs have been registered in Panchkula. The details of FIRs registered at other places would be furnished," Mahajan told the court during a special hearing.

The Haryana government alleged that a "defective" order by the Deputy Commissioner of Police(DCP) in Panchkula allowed the crowd build-up in the district, as it came under flak over not doing anything to check the violence by the Dera followers.

The death toll in the violence and arson by the frenzied followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh rose to 32 today.

"Yes, there was a lapse and that why we have suspended DCP Panchkula," Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas said, adding that the prohibitory order issued by the officer only barred carrying of weapons and not a gathering of five or more persons.

An official order today said that IPS officer Ashok Kumar, DCP Panchkula, has been put under suspension with immediate effect.

The Army along with the police and paramilitary forces has put up barricades at entry points of the Dera premises in Sirsa, where tens of thousands of Dera followers, including women and childen, stayed put despite an appeal by authorities to leave.

"There is no plan so far to enter the Dera headquarters here. We are focusing on maintenance of law and order presently," General Officer Commanding(GOC), 33 Armoured Division, Maj Gen Rajpal Punia told reporters in Sirsa, as the army made appeals on loudspeakers to the Dera followers to leave the complex.

Sirsa sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Paramjit Singh Chahal said the Army has not been given any order so far to enter the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters.

Tens of thousands of Dera followers, including women and children, stayed put in the Dera quarters despite an appeal by authorities to leave.

"There is still no order for the Army to enter the campus. They are only ensuring enforcement of curfew in the area," Chahal said.

"As per Panchkula Control Room in Haryana, the situation in Panchkula and Sirsa is very tense but under control," a Union home ministry spokesperson said in Delhi.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting in Delhi to review the security situation in the country, particularly Haryana, and was told that the situation in the state was under control, officials said.

Emerging from the high-level meeting, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said the director general of Haryana Police had assured the Central government that the situation was under control now.

"Haryana, Punjab and Delhi have not seen many incidents today. Panchkula and Sirsa had a situation yesterday but now the situation has normalised," he told reporters in Delhi.

A senior police officer said in Sirsa that law and order situation is under control as there has been no report of violence since last night.

"He is being treated as an ordinary prisoner. It was reported that he was being an air conditioner, there is nothing like that."

Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi said that Ram Rahim's 'Z-plus' security cover was withdrawn after his conviction in the 2002 rape case.

He also denied any special treatment being given to the Dera chief in a Rohtak jail after being held guilty in a 15- year-old rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula yesterday.

"The moment he was arrested yesterday, his 'Z plus' security cover stood automatically withdrawn," Dhesi told a press conference in Chandigarh.

"He is being treated as an ordinary prisoner. It was reported that he was being an air conditioner, there is nothing like that. As far as food is concerned, he is served the same food which other prisoners have," he added.

CHANDIGARH--Under fire over the handling of the situation arising out of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today admitted that there were lapses but asserted appropriate action was being taken.

Facing a volley of questions from reporters on the violence that has left at least 30 people dead and scores injured, he said the "lapses have been identified and we are taking appropriate steps".

"This should not have happened," he said.

"Some people have lost lives and vehicles have been set on fire while government property too has been damaged. Some OB vans of the media have also been damaged by the mob," Khattar said.

"All those who have taken law into their hands will be punished. We have identified some culprits including those who fired (from the mob at security forces), some of whom have been nabbed and action will be taken against them," he said.

All those who have taken law into their hands will be punished. We have identified some culprits including those who fired (from the mob at security forces).

The government will assess the damage, he added.

Asked how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula and was his government prepared for this, Khattar said, "We were prepared to deal with the situation. Since it was a very big mob..."

Khattar ducked a question on how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula despite Section 144 being imposed much earlier.

When repeatedly asked how the followers managed to reach in such big numbers and whether it was a failure of his government, he replied, "When such issue comes where you are dealing with followers in such numbers... We tried to stop them..."

Khattar, facing unending questions from the reporters, had to plead with them to at least listen to what he had to say.

"I have to answer, listen to me," he said.

When told that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had come down heavily on the state government over the mishandling of the situation in Panchkula, Khattar said, "I have to give answer and I will give... If you do not listen to me..."

The damage caused to some media personnel's equipment during the violence here will be taken care of the government.

To another question, he said the state has rushed paramilitary forces to all those places in addition to Panchkula and Sirsa where it feels the situation can take an ugly turn.

He said the damage caused to some media personnel's equipment during the violence here will be taken care of the government.

He also said the state government will provide full compensation within a week to those persons whose property was damaged today.

A website would be created where claimants can enter details regarding their damaged property, including vehicles and OB vans, he said, adding the portal would be launched within a day.

Khattar also urged the people to get their FIRs lodged online on HarSamay portal of Haryana Police.

"The amount of compensation will later be recovered from the property of Dera Sacha Sauda," he added.

"The amount of compensation will later be recovered from the property of Dera Sacha Sauda."

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh expressed shock that "the situation in Panchkula was allowed to escalate by the Haryana government".

"The trouble could have been averted had the Dera supporters been stopped from aggregating in one place," Amarinder said, adding that the Haryana government should have stopped trains and buses from reaching Panchkula, just as Punjab had done.

In the morning, Khattar had appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony not allow themselves to be misled by rumours.

Some anti-social elements got mixed up with the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda after the delivery of the verdict by the CBI court in the case involving the Dera chief.

"Some anti-social elements got mixed up with the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda after the delivery of the verdict by the CBI court in the case involving the Dera chief, resorted to violence and disrupted the peace," he had said in a statement.

Haryana's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas said that the state government has taken a decision to bear the expenses to replace the damaged equipment of those media personnel who found themselves caught up in the violence here.

"Those who indulged in arson have been identified. We have maximum video footage available in this regard and government will take action against them. As far as presence of arsonists is concerned, they have been flushed out from Panchkula, where curfew is imposed," Niwas said.

CHANDIGARH--The death toll in the violence following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case climbed up to 36 today even as there was no report of fresh violence in Haryana.

State authorities are now trying to ensure that there are no untoward incidents tomorrow or on Monday when the special CBI court judge will be flown to the district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for pronouncing the quantum of sentence.

"Thirty six people have died, out of which six casualties are in Sirsa and remaining are in Panchkula," DGP B S Sandhu said this evening.

Thirteen persons from among the 36 deceased have been identified, the police said.

No untoward incident was reported from neighbouring Punjab also as security forces conducted flag marches and kept a tight vigil in the sensitive areas. Curfew was also relaxed at some places where it had been imposed.

Facing flak over the failure to check violence by Dera Sacha Sauda followers, the Haryana government today suspended the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, alleging that a "defective" order by him allowed the crowd build-up in the district.

The Haryana government today suspended the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, alleging that a "defective" order by him allowed the crowd build-up in the district.

There was mayhem in Panchkula yesterday as Dera Sacha Sauda supporters went berserk after the sect chief's conviction setting afire vehicles and pelting stones. The violence resulted in nearly 30 deaths in Panchkula itself.

The Haryana goverment was also forced to terminate the services of the state's Deputy Advocate General, Gurdas Salwara, for allegedly "accompanying" Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh yesterday after the sect head's conviction.

The opposition stepped up its attack with former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanding the dismissal of Manohar Lal Khattar government for its failure to handle the situation at Panchkula.

Hooda sought the imposition of President's rule in the state.

The Khattar government came under sharp criticism from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which castigated it over the deadly violence, saying it had "surrendered" before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda head for "political considerations".

Meanwhile, as part of the crackdown on Dera centres, security personnel today conducted search operations at congregation centres across Haryana and Punjab and recovered a large number of sticks and sharp-edged objects.

The Haryana goverment was also forced to terminate the services of the state's Deputy Advocate General, Gurdas Salwara, for allegedly "accompanying" Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh yesterday after the sect head's conviction.

Many Dera centres in Haryana were being sealed and security personnel deployed outside their premises to prevent any untoward incident, officials said.

After yesterday's mahyem, Haryana government claimed that peace had prevailed in the state today.

"Peace is prevailing throughout the state and no incident has occurred anywhere after 6.30 pm yesterday," Chief Secretary D S Dhesi said.

He also informed that 'Z plus' security cover which was given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had been withdrawn the moment he was convicted yesterday.

He termed as incorrect media reports alleging that special treatment was being extended to the Dera chief, who has been lodged in district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak, asserting that he was being treated as an "ordinary prisoner".

All security arrangements have been made for August 28 when the quantum announcement sentence will be announced by the CBI court, Dhesi said.

All security arrangements have been made for August 28 when the quantum announcement sentence will be announced by the CBI court, Dhesi said.

The High court ordered the Haryana government to make arrangements at district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for the special CBI court judge to pronounce Dera Sacha Sauda chief's quantum of sentence on Monday.

The court directed that necessary arrangements for security and safe transport by air of the judicial officer and two staff members should be made.

The High Court slammed the Khattar government, observing that it seems that it had "surrendered before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda for political considerations."

The Haryana police, meanwhile, recovered an AK-47 rifle and a Mauser from the vehicle of a Dera follower, and two rifles and five pistols from another vehicle during the operations, DGP Sandhu said.

As many as 552 persons have been arrested in connection with yesterday's violence and further investigations are underway, the DGP said.

The court directed that necessary arrangements for security and safe transport by air of the judicial officer and two staff members should be made

He said the police had made adequate security arrangements and Army presence had been requested to bolster confidence of the people.

"The law-and-order situation is being maintained and constantly monitored in the entire state. As many as 101 companies of paramilitary have been deployed in the state, six columns of the Army have been deployed in Panchkula and four in Sirsa. Curfew has been relaxed in Panchkula and Sirsa," Chief Secretary Dhesi said.

The district administration of Sirsa with the assistance of police, paramilitary and the Army is sanitising and securing the area outside Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters.

"People inside the Dera want to come out but as the situation is tense, they would be taken out only after the situation normalises," Dhesi added.

He said the mob had burnt 28 vehicles in Panchkula, including some belonging to the government besides setting on fire two government buildings, namely offices of the Income Tax Department and HARTRON yesterday.

In Panchkula, security forces remained on high alert today as an uneasy calm prevailed in the district, which was the epicentre of yesterday's violence.

PUNJAB ALSO SEARCHES DERA CENTRES

Punjab also launched a crackdown on Dera centres, with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh stating that state police offices had visited all the 98 'Naam Sacha Ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera in the state and recovered lathis, pipes and rods, axes and petrol bombs.

Punjab has tightened security at vital installations and is ready to enforce curfew again in sensitive areas of the state on Monday, if needed, in view of the upcoming sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Ram Rahim, he said.

Chief Minister Singh said that Punjab remained peaceful and no loss of life was reported from any part of the state.

Dear Shah Rukh,

I'm your biggest fan. A million others might say the same thing, of course, but to me I really am. And that's why I can't bear to see you committing professional suicide. Films like Happy New Year and Jab Harry Met Sejal seemed like charitable projects you'd taken on to help out-of-work directors. What other explanation could there be for you to take on films that lacked a compelling script or any kind of opportunity for you to shine? So, yes, maybe you were being magnanimous by signing those films, but please STOP! By taking on such projects you are doing a disservice to yourself, your talent, your brand.

It's not a good sign when your fans start enjoying your interviews more than your movies!

Remember, you are the Shah Rukh Khan. Why can't someone of your stature get solid storylines that are exclusively written for you? For the person we grew up admiring, for a person who is a gigantic inspiration to millions all across the world, not getting the scripts that he deserves is beyond me. Take control of your cinematic journey before your stardom is overshadowed by one too many damp squibs.

Yes, even the greatest of actors have made mistakes in the films they have picked, but don't make it a habit, Shah Rukh. One bad movie leads to another and before you know it your substandard film endeavours will begin to define you more than all the good work you have done in the past. You've lasted for decades in this industry and you probably have many good years left. You still have time to go back to where you belong. To those, powerful, hand-crafted scripts. Your fans deserve better Shah Rukh. YOU deserve better!

One bad movie leads to another and before you know it your substandard film endeavours will begin to define you more than all the good work you have done...

You have an exceptionally good body of work, immense talent and the biggest fan base. It's a shame to see the kind of work that you have been accepting. It's not a good sign when your fans start enjoying your interviews more than your movies! Not very long ago there was a time when the general sentiment was that if it is a Shah Rukh movie it had to be something good, very good!

Let's bring back that time... for you, for me and for millions and millions of your fans out there.

Big hug!

White nationalists and neo-Nazis are having their moment. Former Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard David Duke is back, yet again, in the media spotlight, while newer figures such as white supremacist Richard Spencer and Christopher Cantwell are broadcasting their views via social media feeds and niche internet channels.

Many Americans are wondering if this resurgent movement should be ignored, feared or fought. What, exactly, is the best antidote for neo-Nazism?

What about laughter?

While the August 12 violence in Charlottesville, Virginia was no joke, the images of armor-clad, tiki-torch-wielding white nationalists did give fodder to late-night talk show hosts and editorial cartoonists.

In a different age, another ascendant white supremacist – Adolf Hitler – used a combination of garbled ideas, stagy phrasing and arch gestures to bewitch much of his nation, even as the rest of the world looked on in disbelief and terror.

While many anti-fascists offered serious and potent arguments against Hitler, comedians like Charlie Chaplin responded to the mortal threat that the Nazis posed in a different way: They used humor to highlight the absurdity and hypocrisy of both the message and its notorious messenger.

Chaplin homes in on his target

In late 1940, producer-director-star Charlie Chaplin released "The Great Dictator." Often considered Chaplin's last great film, "The Great Dictator" is the tale of a little Jewish barber in the mythical (but obviously German) nation of Tomania. The barber is mistaken for a dictator modeled after Adolf Hitler named Adenoid Hynkel, and the barber is forced to carry out his impersonation of the German warlord to save his own life.

The idea of a film satirizing Hitler was one Chaplin had been working on for years. Chaplin was a dedicated antifascist, and was alarmed at Hitler's ability to captivate the German people. He warned members of the Hollywood community not to underestimate Hitler merely because they found him comical, an effect magnified by Hitler's unfathomable decision to apparently borrow the most famous mustache in the world – Chaplin's little black toothbrush – as his own trademark.

Chaplin regarded Hitler as one of the finest actors he had ever seen. (Hitler carefully monitored his public persona, studying photographs and film of his speeches, and taking lessons in public presentation.) Nonetheless, Chaplin, whose international success was based on little people challenging and defeating powerful institutions and individuals, recognized that comedy could be used against Hitler.

"It is paradoxical that tragedy stimulates the spirit of ridicule," he wrote in his autobiography. "Ridicule, I suppose, is an attitude of defiance."

Chaplin was warned in 1939 that the film might be refused release in England and face censorship in the United States. Political factions in both nations were anxious to placate the unpredictable, angry Hitler, and "The Great Dictator" could be calculated to enrage the Nazis, who reviled Chaplin as a "Jewish acrobat."

But Chaplin was a partner in the distribution company United Artists; simply put, he was his own producer, and answerable primarily to himself when it came to risky investments. Due to Chaplin's perfectionism, all of his films were expensive. "The Great Dictator" was no different: It cost US$2 million to produce, an enormous sum at the time. That perfectionism delayed the film's distribution until the height of the English Blitz, by which time audiences in the U.S. and England were ready for Chaplin's humor of defiance. In 1940, the year of its release, "The Great Dictator" was the third highest-grossing film in the U.S.

Exposing a fraud

Much of the comedy of "The Great Dictator" comes from a merciless indictment of those who would follow such a patently idiotic character. The satire mocks Hitler's absurdity, solipsism and overweening vanity, while also highlighting Germany's psychological captivity to a political fraud.

All the techniques of the tyrant are on view: the arbitrary demonizing of identity groups, the insistence on mindless loyalty from his followers, the unpredictable behavior toward foreign leaders that ranges from mere abuse to deceit, even the hostility toward science in favor of dogma. (A series of inventors die while demonstrating the patently impossible military technology Hynkel demands, like a bulletproof suit and a parachute hat.) Hynkel is also a casual sexual harasser and grossly overestimates attendance at official functions.

Hynkel bloviates mindlessly and unintelligibly. U.S. and English audiences were already quite familiar with Hitler's untranslated radio speeches, and Chaplin took advantage of this, making Hynkel's speeches an amalgamation of gibberish, non sequiturs and vaudeville German dialect humor, as when he shouts, "Der Wienerschnitzel mit da lagerbieren, und das Sauerkraut!" ("The wienerschnitzel with the beer and the sauerkraut!")

Would Hitler laugh at himself?

The success of "The Great Dictator" spawned a cottage industry of Hitler satire. Some of this work was relentlessly lowbrow, such as the Three Stooges' short "You Nazty Spy!" (1940), Hal Roach Studios' short feature "That Nazty Nuisance" (1943), and the Warner Bros.' animated shorts "The Duckators" (1942), "Der Fuehrer's Face" (1942) and "Daffy – The Commando" (1943).

The artistic peak of this cinematic effort was the mordant Ernst Lubitsch comedy "To Be or Not to Be" (1942), in which Hitler is explicitly compared to a ham actor-manager who embarks upon a vanity production of – what else? – "Hamlet."

Hitler was a huge movie fan, and after the war, novelist and screenwriter Budd Schulberg found proof that Hitler had actually seen "The Great Dictator." More intriguingly, Hitler ordered the film to be screened for him a second time. (Of course, ordinary Germans weren't allowed to watch it.)

Interviewed for a 2001 documentary, Reinhard Spitzy, an intimate of Hitler, said he could easily imagine Hitler laughing privately at Chaplin's burlesque of him.

The image of Hitler watching "The Great Dictator" a second time – admiring the work of the only public figure whose sheer charisma before the cameras could rival his own – is a compelling one.

Chaplin later said that had he known the extent of the Nazis' barbarity, he would not have burlesqued them; their crimes were simply too immense for comedy, however trenchant. But perhaps "The Great Dictator" still reminds us of political comedy's golden mean: The more political movements strive to be taken seriously, the more ripe a subject for satire they become.

Kevin Hagopian, Senior Lecturer of Media Studies (Cinema Studies), Pennsylvania State University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Random adults call me "uncle" nowadays and the offspring of several management school batchmates have started college. Also, my hair's begun greying, my lower back is occasionally troublesome, hangovers last longer, and Dr B recently warned of near-sightedness setting in. But it is not these usual intimations of age that have made me feel dated. For the dated feeling creeping in lately, I blame Hindi FM channels.

One sign of aging, the greying, I actually welcomed, hoping to be taken seriously by the world finally. Others, I have interpreted as consequences of an unhealthy amount of screen time (the eye and back issues), reflexive, possibly challenged vocabularies (the "uncle" mentions), and others' overly enthusiastic embrace of marital and parental bliss (the college-going kids). But how do I explain by inability to connect with what's commonly on air in the way younger folk around me do?

There is only one explanation that makes sense for my wariness of today's playlists. Their words and sounds tug at emotions that aren't familiar anymore.

It can't be a block about new things; I am comfortable with evolving slang and enjoy Netflix shows and the work of several of Bollywood's new breed. It can't be because I see preferences other than my own as evidence of fallen standards; I live under no illusion of being an arbiter of such things as standards and taste. There is, then, only one explanation that makes sense for my wariness of today's playlists. Their words and sounds tug at emotions that aren't familiar anymore.

Some (very) notable exceptions aside, there seem two major types of songs ruling the air waves:

1.The mopey romantic number: Let alone chronicles of betrayal or separation, even celebrations of love and the company of the beloved sound like languishments, carry the cadence of a whine. The likes of Arijit Singh and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan may have wider range, but the radio prefers them (presumably because listeners do) in dispirited mode.

2.The testosterone-loaded dance number. This category of song marries bhangra and rap beats, Hindi, English and Punjabi, speaks of virile gabrus and their soni objects, and is essentially a crude mating call. This, you would know unless you have been living under a rock, is the territory of Honey Singh and his clones.

What would explain the popularity of the whining and the boastfulness? Perhaps it's in the nature of the times where whines have emerged a signal of passion and ardour, where boasts pass off as creditable performances. For confirmation, look no further than social media, where love for the nation is asserted via cribs and dissing, where dubious information creates and polishes halos.

The mopey romantic number carries resonance with new mashooqs and ashiqs because it either ties into romanticised notions of the euphoric moments and monumental struggles that lie ahead, or responds to the need to self-flagellate to be convinced of their own sincerity.

But since time teaches that romance isn't be to fretted about but revelled in, that the true flavours of romance lie not in 'highlight' events but in their vast, everyday interstices, the mopey romantic number doesn't quite do it for me.

How does one connect to an unimaginative fantasy, however foot-tapping the beat it is set to, when one has known the joys of deploying one's own imagination?

The testosterone-loaded dance number, if anything, does less. The fantasies worth indulging in and the pleasures, sensual and carnal, worth pursuing, one has discovered in time, are lubricated by exercising what lies between the ears, not bragging about what lies below the waist. How does one connect to an unimaginative fantasy, however foot-tapping the beat it is set to, when one has known the joys of deploying one's own imagination?

At another level, one can look at things as part of a cycle. I suppose it was my enthusiastic embrace of R D Burman and Kishore Kumar and relative indifference to Shankar-Jaikishan and Mohammad Rafi that alerted family seniors to changing times. For others, it may have been the emergence of Rahman and the number of unconventional voices he introduced that marked the passing of the RD-Kishore era (the Nadeem-Shravan and Kumar Sanu years intervening briefly). The baton now seems to be moving again, suggesting yet another transition. I am an unwilling spectator this time.

Fifteen years after the Punjab & Haryana High Court received an anonymous letter alleging that the Dera Sacha Sauda chief had sexually exploited women in the organisation's headquarters, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted for rape and criminal intimidation. The verdict was announced by a special CBI court in Panchkula. And within two days of his conviction, violence wreaked by his followers left 36 people dead, public and private properties worth crores destroyed.

The Punjab & Haryana High Court was not amused. The court took the Haryana government and the Dera followers to the cleaners over the violence that ravaged Panchkula. The Centre was not spared either.

During a special hearing on Saturday, the court minced no words when additional solicitor general Satya Pal Jain argued that other states -- with governments formed by other parties -- have witnessed similar incidents of violence.

"National integration and law and order are above everything. We are one nation, not a party nation. Politicians need to understand that the nation is one. It is the Prime Minister of India, not BJP. It is the Chief Minister of the state, not BJP. You (Satya Pal Jain) are Additional Solicitor General of India, not of any party," the full bench of the High Court said, reports The Indian Express.

The bench was chaired by acting chief justice SS Saron and justices Surya Kant and Avneesh Jhingan.

According to the Hindustan Times, the judges also said that the Centre's reaction was nothing better than a 'knee-jerk' response. They also questioned: "Why do you (the Centre) treat the region as colonies?"

Observing that the Haryana government had actually let the Dera followers run amok, the court said, that they had "surrendered before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda for political considerations". The Indian Express reports that the court didn't stop at that, they accused Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar of 'protecting' Dera, and said, "This was a political surrender to allure vote bank."

They added that outsiders were allowed to gather and take up public space in Panchkula under the watch of the government.

NDTV reports that even earlier, the court had levelled similar allegations against the Khattar government. They had said: ""You let a city like Panchkula burn for political motives."

Dera, according to NDTV, had endorsed the BJP during elections in both Punjab and Haryana.

On August 25, the court had ordered that compensation of damage to private and public property will be recovered from Dera Sacha Sauda.

PTI reports that the court had said "in case people indulge in causing loss to the properties, the process will be videographed and total loss will be recovered from the Dera'.

They added: ""The deputy commissioners in the States of Haryana and Punjab are directed to identify the assets and properties of Dera Sacha Sauda and submit a list of the same in this court for attachment. The list should include assets, incomes, bank accounts and properties."

PTI reports that, expecting intervention and political manipulation, the High Court directed the additional solicitor general to make sure law enforcement agencies conduct enquiries without any impediment. "Officers dealing with the situation will perform their job without fear and favour. In case any officer is found wanting in performing duty, strict action will be taken by the court," the court said, warning political leaders of interfering with government servants performing their duties.

Despite a ban on large gatherings, nearly 1.5 lakh Dera Sacha Sauda followers descended upon Panchkula destroying the city and taking lives following the conviction of their leader.

There have always been men who abuse power and abuse women and this is just another way to do it..."

We can’t scare women off using the internet because it’s simply not fair...”