BJP, SAD target Mann over Golden temple sacrilege

BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday condemned the sacrilege attempt at Shaheed Baba Gurbaksh Singh Ji within the Golden Temple complex, where a man allegedly picked up a ‘Sri Sahib’, or sacred sword, placed in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. 

The incident occurred on Wednesday night, when a man entered the sanctum during an Akhand Path and, after a ‘parkarma’ (circumambulating) of the Guru Granth Sahib, he suddenly picked up the Sri Sahib placed before it. 

However, sewadars present at the gurdwara overpowered the man and handed him over to the police. The accused is currently in police custody. 

BJP national spokesperson RP Singh called the incident a direct attack on the Sikh community’s religious sentiments.  “Such an act is not merely an incident of misconduct or a security breach; it is a direct attack on the religious sentiments, faith and collective consciousness of the Sikh community,” he said on X.

Singh urged the Punjab Government and law enforcement agencies to conduct a transparent, time-bound and comprehensive investigation. “Every individual connected to this incident, directly or indirectly, must be identified and brought to justice. The truth must be placed before the public, and accountability must not stop at the lowest level,” he said. He added that any attempt to violate the sanctity of Sri Harmandir Sahib has consequences far beyond the immediate incident.