Amritsar, June 11 (PTI): Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj on Thursday called for exposing the forces behind an attempt at sacrilege at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Gurbaksh Singh Ji, located inside the Golden Temple complex, where a man allegedly picked up a 'Sri Sahib', or sacred sword, placed in front of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Asserting that those responsible for the act must be awarded stringent punishment, Gargajj said the incident on Wednesday night bore a striking resemblance to a sacrilege attempt in December 2021, when a man crossed the safety grill inside the Golden Temple and picked up the ‘Sri Sahib’ placed there.

The jathedar also termed the 2021 incident a major failure of the Punjab government, which still has not been able to identify the person involved in the act.

Referring to the latest case, Gargajj said an Akhand Path was underway at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Gurbaksh Singh Ji when a man entered the sanctum, and, after a 'parkarma' (circumambulating) of the Guru Granth Sahib, he suddenly picked up the Sri Sahib placed before it.

However, ‘sewadars’ present at the gurdwara overpowered the man before he could do anything, Gargajj said.

The accused is currently in police custody.

If the authorities fail to uncover the conspiracy behind the incident despite having the accused in custody, serious questions would be raised about the government's functioning and investigative capabilities, the jathedar said.

He also said that the identity of the accused is yet to be established, as no documents or identification cards were found in his possession, indicating that the incident may be part of a larger conspiracy or a deliberate attempt to hurt Sikh sentiments.

The jathedar also alleged that while governments act swiftly when it comes to intervening in Sikh religious affairs, they consistently “fail to expose the forces operating behind such sacrilegious acts”.

Gargajj asked the community members to ensure robust security arrangements at every gurdwara, and to remain alert to any suspicious or mischievous activities.

He also praised the ‘sewadars’ for promptly overpowering the accused on Wednesday. PTI JMS CHS ARI

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