Two security personnel accompanying BJP chief Amit Shah entered the Golden Temple complex with weapons in their hip holsters, which is against the ‘maryada’ (tenets) of the shrine.
After addressing the BJP workers’ conference, Shah, along with some other party leaders, paid obeisance at the Golden Temple. After taking off his shoes at the Information Centre of the shrine, he entered the shrine through the Ghanta Ghar entrance. Around 8-10 security personnel accompanying Shah followed him into the shrine.
While some were in safari suits, the others were in uniform of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The uniformed personnel, however, took care to take off their belts and their ranks. In the parikrama, at least two security men were noticed carrying their weapons in their hip holsters.
This was pointed out to the local police officials, who did not take the necessary steps to request them to deposit their weapons at the Information Office. The two even went along with Shah into the sanctum sanctorum. When they were coming back, local police officials tried to conceal them and at this juncture even they had heated arguments with press photographers, who had managed to get the shots of the security men with their weapons.
However, it was not the fault of the security personnel, as they were quite unaware of the rules regarding carrying of weapons into the shrine. Either the local police or the SGPC should have informed them in advance.
{{/usCountry}}However, it was not the fault of the security personnel, as they were quite unaware of the rules regarding carrying of weapons into the shrine. Either the local police or the SGPC should have informed them in advance.
{{/usCountry}}In fact, the photographers pointed out the weapons to local police officials but they did not bother.