CHANDIGARH: India has condemned the demolition of the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Farooqabad, around 70km from Lahore in Pakistan, after reports that it was razed by a local businessman without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC).
The demolition has prompted Sikh religious organisations, including the Sant Samaj and Damdami Taksal, to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging the Union government to raise concerns over the condition of Sikh and Hindu religious sites, religious properties and the safety of minority communities in Pakistan with Islamabad and at international forums.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the incident as "deeply distressing" and strongly condemned what it called a "highly deplorable" and "targeted act of vandalism".
It also urged Pakistan to bring those responsible to justice.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya called the incident systematic neglect and deliberate erasure of Sikh heritage in Pakistan and calimed that "there is a message in this" for the ruling AAP government in Punjab.
"The 125-year-old historic Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad a protected heritage site has been, brazenly demolished. This is not merely an act of vandalism; it is a stark reminder of the systematic neglect and deliberate erasure of Sikh heritage in Pakistan. The hypocrisy is impossible to miss. On one hand, Pakistan’s agencies seek to mislead and provoke Sikhs against India. On the other, the Pakistani state is allowing the destruction of Sikh history, faith and identity within its own borders," Malviya wrote on X.
"But the Sikh community has seen through Pakistan’s devious agenda. It knows who truly safeguards its faith, heritage and rights, and who seeks to exploit it for geopolitical ends. Pakistan and its collaborators in India will be reduced to political insignificance. There is a message in this for the ruling AAP as well," he added.
Sant Giani Harnam Singh Khalsa, head of Damdami Taksal and president of the Sant Samaj, wrote to PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar, urging Centre to raise the issue with Pakistan and on international platforms. The letter refers to reported incidents of illegal encroachments and desecration of several historic gurdwaras and temples, including those at Hasan Abdal, Nankana Sahib, Lahore, Narowal, Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Kasur.
Khalsa said the incidents showed that Sikh and Hindu places of worship in Pakistan remained vulnerable and that the religious freedom, security and right of minority communities to manage their religious affairs were under threat. He appealed to the Union government to raise the issue during bilateral engagements with Pakistan and at the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), UNESCO and other international forums.
The letter also called for the protection of all gurdwaras and temples in Pakistan, the removal of illegal encroachments, action against officials and the land mafia responsible, and an independent audit of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).
Meanwhile, a delegation from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) met officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and submitted a memorandum seeking the government's intervention. The delegation urged the Centre to ensure that no further damage was caused to the gurdwara in Farooqabad.
In a statement, the DSGMC said, "We also request the Government of India to lodge a strong diplomatic protest with the Pakistan government, conveying serious concern of the Sikh community over repeated unfortunate incidents and emphasising the need to ensure religious freedoms of minority communities."
The MEA said: "We have seen the deeply distressing reports regarding the demolition of the historic 125-year-old sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan. We strongly condemn this highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine. Its destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), is a matter of grave concern."
"This is unfortunately not an isolated incident, as we have also seen similar reports earlier. The systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan continues unabated," it added.
"We call upon the Government of Pakistan to expeditiously investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice. The demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib should be restored and reconstructed at the earliest," the statement said.
The ministry said the incident was "not an isolated incident" and urged Pakistan to fulfil its obligations to ensure the safety and security of minority communities and safeguard their religious sites.
According to an official from Pakistan's Punjab government, the historic Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Farooqabad was recently demolished by a local businessman.
"The businessman had demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department concerned. The department has not taken notice of it till the Sikhs of the area protested," he said, adding that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz intervened after members of the Sikh community protested.
Pakistan Punjab's Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora later visited the site along with district officials and announced that the gurdwara would be restored after hearing the grievances of local Sikhs.
Arora said preliminary information from the Auqaf Department suggested that a local businessman had demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the required NOC.
He said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had reiterated the government's commitment to protecting the rights of minorities and safeguarding their places of worship.
He also directed the Auqaf Department to investigate the ownership and status of the land on which the gurdwara stood, saying initial information suggested it was not registered as Auqaf land.
"I personally inspected the site and instructed the relevant authorities to submit a fact-based report at the earliest," he said.