Chandigarh:
The controversy over the events at Delhi’s Gurdwara Bangla Sahib has taken a new turn, with a police case registered against Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders over an alleged protest inside the shrine. AAP legislators from Punjab approached the Akal Takht Sahib on Monday, seeking action over the alleged entry of Delhi Police personnel wearing shoes and without covering their heads.
A delegation of AAP MLAs, led by Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj in Amritsar and submitted a memorandum demanding that the incident be taken up. The legislators also sought the summoning of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to explain the police action, arguing that Delhi Police functions under the Union Home Ministry.
The move comes after the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) lodged a complaint against Kejriwal, AAP MLAs and other party workers. The complaint alleged that protesters raised political slogans inside Bangla Sahib and that misleading videos were subsequently circulated on social media. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR and started examining the allegations.
The dispute centres police action against protesters who had taken shelter at the gurdwara during an agitation over alleged electoral-roll irregularities. AAP leaders have alleged that police personnel entered the shrine wearing shoes and with their heads uncovered, and removed protesters from the premises.
The Delhi Police, however, has maintained that the personnel seen in the viral videos were walking through a common passage leading to the shoe-removal area, where footwear is permitted. The police has also alleged that the videos were circulated with malicious intent.
In their memorandum to the Akal Takht Jathedar, the Punjab AAP legislators described the alleged police conduct as a serious matter concerning Sikh religious traditions and sentiments. They urged the Jathedar to take cognisance of the incident and summon Shah to seek an explanation.
The legislators also referred to past incidents involving the entry of uniformed police or security personnel into gurdwaras, arguing that the latest controversy has revived painful memories within the Sikh community.
The Bangla Sahib dispute has thus opened two parallel fronts: A police investigation into allegations against AAP leaders over the purported protest and circulation of videos, and a demand by Punjab AAP legislators for religious intervention over the conduct of Delhi Police.
The allegations on both sides remain subject to investigation and scrutiny.
