A day after Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, head of the Indian Army’s air defence, stated that air defence guns were deployed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar to counter possible threats from Pakistan, the Army has issued a clarification denying the claim.
The Army clarified that no such deployment took place at the Golden Temple during Operation Sindoor. The clarification follows reports suggesting that the temple management had allowed the Army to position air defence guns within the shrine to counter potential drone or missile threats from across the border.
"Some media reports are circulating with respect to deployment of air defence (AD) 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)," an Army statement said.
The additional head priest of the shrine and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), too, have denied the reports of deployment of guns at Golden Temple premises, saying the Indian Army was not given any such permission.
The SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami also said the administration contacted them about switching off the lights amid escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan.
Additional head granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib, Giani Amarjeet Singh, also confirmed that no defence guns were deployed.
“It is incorrect to say that the Army was given permission to deploy air defence guns at Sri Harmandir Sahib….During the blackout issued by the Amritsar district administration, the management cooperated by switching off exterior and upper lights. However, at places where the religious code of conduct is followed, the lights remained on,” he said.
Giani Amarjeet Singh reiterated that the daily religious practices at Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), the Langar of Guru Ramdas Ji, places of Sri Akhand Path Sahib, and other related gurdwaras were conducted according to strict protocols, and no one has the right to interfere with them.
Follow us
