In a major turnaround, Golden Temple head granthi Giani Raghbir Singh has categorically rejected granting permission to the Indian Army for placing air defence guns in the shrine complex during Operation Sindoor. This denial follows a day after top army officials said that such an agreement had been attained to respond to missile and drone attacks from Pakistan.
Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha, in an interview with ANI, asserted that the army was “given unprecedented cooperation” by the Golden Temple authorities. “It was very nice that the head granthi of the Golden Temple allowed us to deploy our guns,” he remarked. He was making a statement after Major General Kartik C Seshadri remarked that Pakistani troops had attempted to attack the Golden Temple with drones and missiles, and India’s air defence had intercepted them.
But Giani Raghbir Singh has brushed aside these allegations as “propaganda.” Talking to the media, he made it clear, “I was not contacted by any army officer. There was no communication on any gun deployment, nor did any such incident occur at Sri Darbar Sahib.” He further said that he was on leave in the United States from April 24 to May 14, during which the reported clashes happened.
SGPC and Other Clergy Reinforce Denial
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) supported the stand of the head granthi. In a statement, acting head granthi Giani Amarjit Singh, who was officiating in Raghbir Singh’s absence, stated that the temple administration followed only district administration instructions during the blackout. “Lights were switched off as advised, except where the maryada is observed,” he added. He denied point-blank granting any permission for the deployment of the army.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami also rejected the army’s assertion. “No army officer approached me, and no air defence gun was installed at the shrine,” he said. He added that the sanctity of Sri Harmandar Sahib was never violated and said, “If any such incident had taken place, the sangat would have observed it.”
Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj also expressed the same feeling. “What was said (by the generals) appears not to have occurred,” he declared.
Call for Investigation and Transparency
Giani Raghbir Singh has urged the SGPC to investigate the army’s claims. “The SGPC should probe the army’s claims and take departmental action if any SGPC member is found involved in this matter,” he said. While acknowledging the armed forces’ role in national security, Singh warned against misusing the sanctity of religious institutions for narrative-building.
This event has now ignited a controversy surrounding transparency in civil-military interactions and the delicate relationship between religious bodies and state activities.
