CHANDIGARH: A day after Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha hinted that air defence guns were deployed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar to counter potential drone and missile threats from Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and additional head granthi of the Golden Temple Giani Raghbir Singh denied the claim.
Subsequently, the Indian Army issued a statement saying some media reports are circulating with respect to deployment of air defence guns in the Golden Temple. "It is clarified that NO AD guns or any other AD resource was deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (Golden Temple)," it read.
In a statement released by the SGPC, Giani Amarjeet Singh, additional head granthi of the Golden Temple, clarified that the management had cooperated with the district administration’s guidelines regarding the city-wide blackout by switching off exterior and upper lights of the complex within the specified time frame. However, lights at locations where religious code of conduct (maryada) is observed were kept on, and the sanctity of the religious place was maintained with full responsibility.
Singh said no permission was granted to deploy air defence guns during Operation Sindoor, nor was any such deployment allowed at the sacred site. Despite the tense situation in recent days, the full religious code of conduct continued at the Golden Temple with dedication and discipline, he said.
SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said the administration contacted them about switching off the lights during the blackout, and they fully cooperated while maintaining the sanctity of the ongoing maryada. However, there was no contact from any Army official regarding the installation of air defence guns at the Golden Temple.
Dhami pointed out that even during the blackout when the outer lights were switched off, large numbers of devotees continued to visit and do sewa (voluntary service) at the Golden Temple and had there been any gun deployment, the sangat (congregation) would have noticed it.
While acknowledging the commendable role played by the Army and the country during the tense circumstances, he expressed surprise that an Army officer would make such a claim and demanded that the Union government clarify why such a statement was issued.
Golden Temple head granthi Giani Raghbir Singh also clarified that although he was on an international visit during the Army operation, there was no communication with him regarding any gun deployment, nor did any such incident occur.
Lieutenant General D’Cunha, Director General of Army Air Defence, had earlier told a news channel, "It was very nice that the head granthi of the Golden Temple allowed us to deploy our guns." He said the unprecedented cooperation from the Golden Temple authorities came after they were briefed on the gravity of the threat, following which the air defence guns were deployed.
Prior to him, Major General Kartik C Seshadri, the general officer commanding (GOC), 15 Infantry Division, had said the Golden Temple was targeted by Pakistan forces with missiles and drones and India’s air defence system had successfully intercepted and destroyed them to protect the shrine.