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Eyebrows raised as SGPC seeks police deployment in Golden Temple complex
SGPC move to get police deployment in Golden Temple complex is aimed at checking “criminal and anti-social elements” active there
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has written to police seeking deployment of their personnel in the Golden Temple complex, particularly the parikarma (circumambulation around the holy ‘sarovar’), to check “criminal and anti-social elements” active there.
The move, which comes nearly one-and-a-half months after the SGPC observed the anniversary of the 1955 police entry into the shrine to contain Akali Dal activists during the Punjabi Suba movement, has drawn a flak from members and office-bearers of the gurdwara body itself.
The entry of police personnel in 1955 was widely opposed by sections of the Sikh community.
Slamming the move, SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur said, “It is to demand security from the police for the shrine. It is tantamount to admit that we are not able to manage the gurdwara and asking the police to take over it. The SGPC employees get salaries in lakhs What are they doing? What is the use of its task force if it cannot curb criminal elements active in the shrine complex?”
SGPC executive committee member Amrik Singh Shahpur said, “It is quite unfortunate that we cannot guard the shrine on our own. Are we not competent to guard our holiest shrine? Where is the SGPC task force?”
Shrine chief manager Gurinder Singh Mathrewal, who wrote the latter to Amritsar police commissioner Vikramjeet Duggal, said, “We are yet to receive a response from the police official in this regard.”
In the letter, Mathrewal said the galliara near the shrine complex has turned into a haven for drug addicts. “We often receive complaints of such people looting the devotees. It brings a bad name to the shrine,” it reads.
“Also, both men and women police personnel should be deployed round the clock around the parikarma, serais and the langar hall in plainclothes. Entrances of the shrine should also be guarded to prevent any untoward incident. Senior police officials must carry out screening in the area themselves,” it further reads.
Entry of police into the shrine complex has never gone well with various Sikh bodies. The SGPC has been targeted by the Sikh bodies for allowing police to “interfere” in the affairs of the shrine which is visited by an average 1 lakh devotees daily.
However, police personnel, including senior officers, are deployed at the shrine on June 6, the anniversary of Operation Bluestar, every year, to avert any clash.
