Our Bureau
Amritsar
There were reports circulating that the Indian military force had deployed air defence weapons within the sacred Golden Temple while Operation Sindoor was going on. These reports however, are now nullified by the Indian army as they have confirmed that there were no air defence guns or other weapons deployed in the premises of the Golden Temple.
The Indian Army has given out a statement that states, “Some media reports are circulating with respect to deployment of air defence guns in the Golden Temple. It is clarified that no air defence guns or any other air defence resource was deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (Golden Temple).”
To debunk the fake reports the President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Harjinder Singh Dhami has also claimed that they had given no permission to the army to deploy any air defence weapons in their shrine and pious gurudwara. He said the army didn’t even contact them regarding any installation of guns for air defence in the Golden Temple.
Mr. Dhami also confirmed that the army had contacted him and asked him to turn the lights off of the gurudwara during the blackout in the city which they had agreed to. He stated that they fully cooperated with the administrative authorities without compromising the sanctity of the ongoing ‘maryada’ (conduct).
The Head Granthi of the Golden Temple, Giani Raghbir Singh, has confirmed that there was no communication regarding deploying defence arms in the temple. He stated that although he was on a foreign visit yet he could confirm any news of deployment of any weapons at the Sri Harmandar Sahib was a straightout lie.
The Head Priest of Sri Harmandar Sahib has confirmed that they cooperated with the authorities and abided by the rules of a complete blackout. However, they have confirmed that places where the ‘maryada’ was to be observed the lights were kept on. It is also to be noted that 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 not changed but they followed strict guidelines.
