The Army Tuesday said no air defence guns or any other air defence resource were deployed within the Golden Temple premises during Operation Sindoor.
The assertion came in the wake of reports that the Golden Temple management had allowed the Army to deploy the air defence guns within the shrine to counter potential drone and missile threats from Pakistan.
“Some media reports are circulating with respect to deployment of AD (air defence) guns in the Golden Temple. It is clarified that no AD guns or any other AD resource was deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (Golden Temple),” an Army statement said.
Earlier, dismissing the reports, the additional head priest of the shrine and the apex religious body of Sikhs, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), said no permission was given to the Indian Army to deploy any air defence guns.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami also said that while the administration contacted them only about switching off the lights during the blackout after recent escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, they fully cooperated in the interest of administrative responsibility while maintaining the sanctity of the ongoing ‘maryada’ (conduct).
Dhami said there was no contact from any Army official regarding the installation of air defence guns at Sri Harmandar Sahib, Dhami said.
Harmandar Sahib’s Head Granthi, Giani Raghbir Singh, also clarified that although he was on a foreign visit during the Operation Sindoor, there was no communication with him regarding any gun deployment, nor did any such incident occur at the Golden temple.
Additional head priest of the Golden Temple Giani Amarjeet Singh said it is not true that the Army was allowed to deploy air defence guns within the shrine to counter potential drone and missile threats from Pakistan.
Singh said this claim was shockingly untrue and outrightly rejected it.
No permission for installing guns was ever given, he asserted.
He clarified that the management of Harmandar Sahib had cooperated with the district administration’s guidelines regarding the city-wide blackout by switching off exterior and upper lights of the complex within the specified time frame.
However, lights at locations where religious code of conduct is observed were kept on, and the sanctity the religious place was maintained with full responsibility, he said.
Singh reiterated that the daily religious practices at Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), the Langar of Guru Ramdas Ji, places of Sri Akhand Path Sahib, and other related gurdwaras were conducted according to strict protocols, and no one has the right to interfere with them.
Despite the tense situation in recent days, the full religious code of conduct continued at Harmandar Sahib with dedication and discipline, he said.
Singh also made it clear that no lights were turned off at any religious site where ‘maryada’ was being observed, even during the blackout.
SGPC chief Dhami said that based on consultation with Singh, only the outer lights were turned off following the district administration’s guidelines.
He pointed out that even during the blackout, large numbers of devotees continued to visit and do ‘sewa’ (voluntary service) and had there been any such event like gun deployment, the Sangat (congregation) would certainly have noticed and seen it.
Dhami acknowledged the commendable role played by the Army and the country during the tense circumstances, but emphasized that “spreading such falsehoods about the central religious place of Sikhs days after the events is shockingly untrue”.
He also demanded a clarification from the government.
