AAP's Jarnail Singh writes to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, questions alleged police action at Bangla Sahib

The AAP leader also questioned the conduct of the DSGMC president and some committee members, alleging that instead of filing a complaint against the police over the incident, they filed a complaint against the AAP.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi State Vice President and Tilak Nagar MLA Sardar Jarnail Singh has written an open letter to the president and members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), raising questions over the alleged violation of the sanctity of Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib by Delhi Police on October 10. Addressing a press conference, Jarnail Singh alleged that Delhi Police violated the sanctity of the gurdwara during an operation on October 10, when police personnel allegedly entered the premises wearing shoes and caps and carrying batons.

“On October 10, Delhi Police carried out a shameful operation against students and ordinary members of the Sangat who had taken shelter at Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib. The police entered the gurdwara premises wearing shoes, with caps on their heads and batons in their hands, openly violating its sanctity and decorum,” he said. The Delhi Police has, however, refuted allegations surrounding a video circulating on social media that purportedly shows police personnel wearing shoes in Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, stating  that the personnel shown in the video were walking through a common passage used by devotees to reach the point where they remove their shoes before entering the Gurdwara.

Meanwhile, the AAP leader also questioned the conduct of the DSGMC president and some committee members, alleging that instead of filing a complaint against the police over the incident, they filed a complaint against the AAP. Jarnail Singh said his open letter addressed 10 questions to the DSGMC president and other members, including whether the committee considered the police action justified and whether a discussion had taken place before a First Information Report (FIR) was filed.

“Does the sanctity of Guru Ghar permit anyone to enter wearing shoes and caps and carrying batons? Does the committee consider this police action justified? Was there any discussion within the committee before an FIR was filed with the police?” he asked. He added that some committee members had contacted him and claimed that the decision to file the complaint had been taken against their wishes. He also questioned why the police had been permitted to intervene in the matter, and asked the committee to make public any documents authorising the police to enter the premises.

Jarnail Singh further questioned the DSGMC members' participation in programmes organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), referring to a Hukamnama issued by Sri Akal Takht Sahib regarding participation in RSS-organised programmes. “Why, then, are committee members attending programmes organised by the BJP and the RSS? Do members of the gurdwara committee consider their membership a means of securing a BJP ticket? Why are they supporting the ideology of an organisation like the RSS, which does not believe in the distinct identity of Sikhs?” he asked.

The AAP leader also alleged that political considerations were influencing the committee members' conduct and questioned whether their actions were consistent with Sikh principles of service and providing refuge to those in need. He further asked whether describing those who had sought shelter at the gurdwara as workers of a particular political party and filing a complaint against them could affect the image of the Sikh community as one that offers refuge to people in need.

“Will people now think twice before seeking shelter in a gurdwara, fearing that a police complaint might be filed against them? In my tenth question, I have asked whether these members' priority is to serve the BJP or to protect Sikh principles,” he said. Jarnail Singh said the questions were not merely a result of his personal political opposition but reflected concerns among members of the Sikh community worldwide.

“We expect all elected and nominated members of the committee to respond to these questions as soon as possible,” he said. On Monday, the Delhi Police registered an FIR against Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, party MLAs and senior leaders following a complaint by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).

The complaint relates to an incident at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, where protesters allegedly disrupted the sanctity of the shrine and later circulated selective, misleading video clips on social media. (ANI)