BJP, SAD turn up heat on AAP govt over sacrilege bid at Golden Temple complex

Chandigarh, Jun 12 (PTI) 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 R P 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.

"Such acts have the potential to hurt religious sentiments, disturb communal harmony and create unrest. Therefore, it is imperative that this matter is not treated as an isolated act without thoroughly examining whether there are larger motives, organised elements or conspiratorial forces behind it," Singh said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal asked the government to arrest the “real conspirator immediately”.

"I strongly condemn this incident in the harshest terms and demand that the government immediately arrest the real conspirator behind this plot and award the strictest possible punishment,” Badal said in a post on X in Punjabi.

BJP’s Singh said the Bhagwant Mann government should be held accountable.

"The people of Punjab deserve answers. Why do such incidents continue to take place despite past warnings? What concrete measures were implemented after the 2021 sacrilege attempt? Were the recommendations arising from that incident fully enforced? Why has public confidence not been restored despite repeated assurances? These are legitimate questions that demand clear and convincing answers," he said.

SAD’s Badal recalled the 2021 sacrilege attempt under the then Congress government, when a man crossed the safety grill inside the Golden Temple and picked up the Sri Sahib placed there.

“Even today, five years later, neither the Congress nor the AAP government has traced any of the conspirators behind it,” he said.

BJP's R P Singh said Sri Harmandir Sahib is not merely a place of worship, it is a symbol of sacrifice, spiritual resilience, human dignity and universal brotherhood.

"The painful memories of the 2021 sacrilege attempt should have served as a permanent reminder that even a single lapse at Sri Harmandir Sahib is one lapse too many. Punjab deserves answers, accountability and decisive action," Singh said. PTI