Row Over Army Statement That India’s Air Defence System Shielded Golden Temple From Pakistan’s Strikes
Jalandhar: A statement by a senior Indian Army officer that Pakistan tried to target the holiest shrine of the Sikhs – the Golden Temple in Amritsar – and several other cities in Punjab with drones and missiles on the intervening night of May 7 & 8, while India was thwarting the attempts under Operation Sindoor, has led to war of words as the head granthi of Golden Temple and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) outrightly rejected the Army’s claims.
On Monday (May 19), the Army’s 15 Infantry Division based at Amritsar held a media briefing and gave a live demonstration of the debris of the drones and missiles launched from Pakistan and intercepted by the Indian air defence systems. The Army also displayed the advanced systems, including the upgraded L-70 Air Defence Guns and AKASH missile systems which were used to neutralise the aerial threats aimed at Sri Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, as well as other cities of Punjab.
In an interview to news agency ANI, Major General Kartik C. Seshadri, the general officer commanding (GOC), 15 Infantry Division, Amritsar, said that Indian Army is a professional, righteous and responsible force which in spite of grave provocations, has always responded in a calibrated and measured manner.
However, the Pakistan Army, which had no legitimate targets to strike inside India, used terrorism as a national policy and launched drones and long-range missiles from its own soil targeting Indian military installations and civilian population, including innocent women and children, he said.
Major General Seshadri said, “They have even targeted religious places, specifically a case in point being the Golden Temple located in Amritsar, which is internationally renowned and a place of faith for everybody. It saw a surfeit of drone and missile attacks, which were thwarted bravely by our Army air defence gunners.”
The Major General emphasised that the alert army air defence gunners shot down the drones and missiles heading towards the Golden Temple. “We did not allow even a scratch to come on our holy Golden Temple”, he added.
‘They switched off Golden Temple lights so we could see the drone coming’
In an earlier interview to ANI, also on May 19, Director General, Army Air Defence, Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha, while speaking at length about Operation Sindoor, gave credit to the head granthi (priest) of Golden Temple for allowing the army to deploy its air defence guns on the Sikh shrine’s premises.
Lt General D’Cunha said, “It was very nice that the head granthi of the Golden Temple allowed us to deploy our air defence guns. It is possibly for the first time in many years that they switched off the Golden Temple lights so that we could see the drone coming. The unprecedented cooperation from the Golden Temple authorities came after they were briefed about the gravity of the threat, following which the guns were deployed.”
"The Golden Temple hierarchy realised there was possibly a threat when it was explained to them. They allowed us to deploy guns to secure and protect the monument of international fame, which is visited by hundreds and thousands of people every day. Hence, these guns were deployed, and the golden temple lights were switched off so that we could clearly visualise the drones as they were coming in. That gave us a greater clarity in the sky because as and when you saw the light, you knew what to engage,” he said.
Golden Temple head granthi calls it ‘untrue’
Responding to the claims made by Lt General D’Cunha that air defence guns were deployed at Sri Harmandir Sahib amid the recent India-Pakistan tensions, Giani Amarjeet Singh, the additional head granthi of Golden Temple, called the statement 'shockingly untrue' and outrightly rejected it.
He clarified that the management of Sri Harmandar Sahib had cooperated with the district administration’s guidelines regarding the city-wide blackout by switching off only the exterior and upper lights of the complex within the specified time frame.
However, lights at locations where religious code of conduct (Sikh maryada) is observed were kept on, and the sanctity of the religious place was maintained with full responsibility.
Giani Amarjeet Singh asserted, “The claim made by the senior Army officer that the head granthi gave permission for the deploying air defence guns during Operation Sindoor is completely false.”
He emphasised, “No such permission was ever granted, nor was any such deployment allowed at this sacred site.”
Singh reiterated that the daily religious practices at Sri Darbar Sahib, the Langar of Guru Ramdas Ji, places of Sri Akhand Path Sahib, and other related gurdwaras were conducted as per strict protocols, and no one has the right to interfere with them.
On Tuesday, May 20, head granthi Giani Raghbir Singh, also clarified that while he was on an international visit during the Army operation, there was no communication with him regarding any gun deployment, nor did any such incident occur at Sri Darbar Sahib. He too described the Army officer’s statement as untrue.
The head granthi made it clear that no lights were turned off at any religious site where Sikh rehat maryada was being observed, even during the blackout. Amritsar witnessed complete blackout across the city, along with other districts of Punjab from May 7 to May 10.
He expressed surprise and concern over why such a statement was made by the senior Army officer and asserted confidently that “no permission for installing guns was ever given.”
SGPC also rejects Army’s claims
SGPC president and advocate, Harjinder Singh Dhami also said that while the administration contacted them about switching off the lights during the blackout, they fully cooperated in the interest of administrative responsibility while maintaining the sanctity of the ongoing maryada.
“However, there was no contact from any Army official regarding the installation of air defence guns at Sri Harmandir Sahib”, he asserted.
He said that based on consultations with additional head granthi Giani Amarjeet Singh, only the outer lights were turned off following the district administration’s guidelines.
Advocate Dhami pointed out that even during the blackout, large numbers of devotees continued to visit and perform seva (voluntary service) at Sri Harmandir Sahib, and had there been any such event like gun deployment, the sangat (congregation) would certainly have noticed and seen it.
The SGPC chief expressed surprise that an Army commander would propagate such a claim and demanded that the Union government should clarify why such statements were being issued by the Army officers.
Dhami acknowledged the commendable role played by the Army and the country during the tense circumstances, but emphasised that spreading such falsehoods about the central religious place of Sikhs days after the events is shockingly untrue.
“No permission was ever granted for the deployment of guns”, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, responding to media queries, Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said, “What has been said (by the Army Generals) does not seem to have happened.”
‘Thankful to Army’: BJP Punjab contradicts
Meanwhile, the ruling AAP, opposition parties Congress and the SAD were mum over the claims of the Army and the rebuttals of the SGPC. Punjab BJP leaders, on the other hand, were quick to respond.
BJP’s Union minister of state and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu wrote on X: “Pakistan’s audacity to target the Golden Temple with drones and missiles is a grave provocation that would unleash the unbridled fury of the Punjabis. If such an attack had occurred, Indians would have risen as one, and with their deep love and reverence for their sacred heritage, they would have torn Pakistan apart with their brave hands. We are very thankful to our Indian Army for not letting Pakistan succeed.”
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