Jalandhar: Nearly 150 people, including several women, locked themselves inside the Talhan Gurudwara on June 13 to prevent the Punjab government from taking control of it defying appeals by police to vacate the shrine.

One of the 'sewaars' (volunteer) speaking to media inside and that many women have threatened self-immolation if the government "tried to evict them".

Punjab government on June 12 had taken control of the Gurudwara from Damdami Taksal and appointed a receiver. 10 people from Dalit and Jat Sikh communities were arrested on June 12 even as the row over the management of the shrine between the two communities continued.

SGPC (Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee) president, Kripal Singh Badungar has termed the appointment of receiver as "direct interference of the government in religious matters".

Badungar urged the Congress government not to "play with the fire which can go out of control and disturb the peace of the state".

SGPC executive member, Sukhdev Singh Bhaur compared the appointment of a receiver by the government with the Jaieo Morcha time where, the pre-independence time when Britishers had appointed receiver to manage the Gurudwaras affairs.

PTI