Punjab Newsline | Amritsar
The controversy over police personnel allegedly entering Delhi’s Gurdwara Bangla Sahib while wearing shoes has reached Sri Akal Takht Sahib, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders demanding action over the alleged violation of Sikh religious traditions.
A delegation of AAP MLAs and leaders, led by Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, submitted a memorandum to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, urging him to take cognisance of the incident and initiate appropriate action.
According to AAP leaders, some students participating in a protest in Delhi entered Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. The police personnel allegedly following them entered the gurdwara premises while wearing shoes, prompting objections from the party leaders.
The AAP leaders said that religious protocol must be respected while entering a gurdwara. They also alleged that the incident took place at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged Sri Akal Takht Sahib to intervene. However, the allegation concerning the Home Minister’s role has not been independently verified.
AAP MLA Alleges Caste-Based Discrimination
During the submission of the memorandum, another controversy emerged when Payal MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura alleged that he was denied entry to the Sri Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat.
Speaking to the media, Giaspura claimed that he was stopped because he belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. The allegation has not been independently verified.
When asked about the matter, Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar said he was unaware of the incident and suggested that the secretariat should be contacted for clarification.
Sri Akal Takht Sahib has not issued an official statement on either matter so far.
Several AAP Leaders Join Delegation
Several party leaders and legislators were part of the delegation that submitted the memorandum. They included Cabinet-rank holder Baljinder Kaur; Dasuya MLA Karmbir Singh Ghuman; Urmar MLA Jasvir Singh Raja; Amritsar South MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar; Qadian constituency in-charge Gur Iqbal Singh Mahal; Tarn Taran MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu; AAP chief spokesperson and Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal; Dera Baba Nanak MLA Gurdeep Singh Randhawa; Amritsar East MLA Jeevanjot Kaur; Mehal Kalan MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori; Khemkaran MLA Sarwan Singh Dhun; Ludhiana MLA Kulwant Singh Giaspura; Baba Bakala MLA Dalvir Singh Tung; Raja Sansi constituency in-charge Sonia Mann; Tarn Taran district president and Zila Parishad chairman Angadip Singh; Khadoor Sahib MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura; and Attari MLA Jaswinder Singh Ramdas.
