Amritsar, Oct 12 — A delegation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators on Monday met Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargajj and submitted a memorandum, seeking action against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over last week’s incident in which Delhi Police personnel entered Gurdwara Bangla Sahib with their shoes and heads uncovered.
Calling it a violation of the sanctity of Sikh religious institutions, the lawmakers urged the Jathedar to summon Amit Shah and ensure accountability for those responsible.
Invoking the painful memories of Operation Bluestar, the AAP delegation pointed out that the Sikh sangat had not forgotten that dark chapter and would never forget the entry of Delhi Police into Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib.
The delegation also questioned the silence of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami over the incident.
Addressing the media after the meeting, AAP MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar, along with MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, said the incident was unfortunate and had hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community.
“Gurdwara sahibs have traditionally been places of refuge, where people seek shelter, peace and ‘langar’. The students being chased by the police had entered the gurdwara premises, but that did not justify police personnel entering the sacred premises with their heads uncovered and shoes on. The Centre must respect Sikh religious sentiments, and the Jathedar must take appropriate action on the memorandum submitted by our delegation,” Nijjar said.
AAP MLA Manvinder Singh Giaspura declared October 10 as a black day for the Sikh community, saying, “The sanctity of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib has been violated. The Sikh community has not forgotten the attacks on its religious institutions in 1984, and it will not forget this incident either.”
Questioning the silence of Shiromani Akali Dal leaders and SGPC chief Dhami, Giaspura said, “The silence of the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership and SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami raises serious questions. A social media post by Harsimrat Kaur Badal condemning the incident was also deleted. The Jathedar must summon Union Home Minister Amit Shah and take strict action. The Sikh community is looking to Akal Takht Sahib for a firm response.”