Delhi Police Registers FIR Over Alleged Political Sloganeering at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. (Img: X)
New Delhi: The Delhi Police has registered an FIR following a complaint by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) alleging that protesters purportedly associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised political slogans inside Gurdwara Bangla Sahib during demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The complaint, submitted by DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka, alleges that the protesters used the premises of the revered Sikh shrine for political activity during Saturday’s demonstration against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The controversy has also triggered competing allegations concerning the conduct of police personnel who moved to detain demonstrators in the vicinity of the gurdwara.
According to the complaint, individuals allegedly linked to AAP entered the gurdwara premises and subsequently brought out posters and banners from their bags before engaging in political sloganeering. The committee has maintained that the alleged conduct compromised the sanctity of the religious premises and hurt the sentiments of devotees.
Kalka said the protesters were initially allowed to enter the gurdwara, where they were provided langar and shelter. He alleged that they subsequently began political activities inside the premises.
The DSGMC has sought the identification of those involved and appropriate legal action. Its complaint also raises allegations concerning the circulation of social media videos that, according to the committee, presented a misleading account of the incident.
The FIR comes amid a separate controversy over allegations that police personnel entered the gurdwara premises while attempting to detain demonstrators who had taken shelter there after being prevented from reaching Jantar Mantar.
AAP leaders have criticised the police action and questioned the circumstances in which officers entered the premises. The allegations have brought the conduct of law-enforcement personnel and the sanctity of the place of worship into the centre of the dispute.
Delhi Police, however, has denied allegations that its personnel entered the gurdwara’s main sanctum wearing shoes. In its clarification concerning footage circulated on social media, the police said the personnel shown were walking through a common passage leading towards the area where devotees remove their footwear before entering the shrine.
The competing accounts have added another dimension to the controversy, with questions being raised over both the alleged use of a religious site for political protest and the manner in which the police dealt with demonstrators.
The incident occurred on October 10, when demonstrators gathered in the capital in response to calls for protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.
Several protesters who were unable to proceed to Jantar Mantar took shelter at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, located near the Election Commission of India’s office. Police subsequently detained demonstrators who came outside the premises.
The gurdwara management had reportedly resisted pressure to send those taking shelter inside the premises out, maintaining that the shrine provided refuge to visitors irrespective of their background.
The registration of the FIR follows the DSGMC’s demand for an investigation into the alleged political activity and the identification of those responsible. The allegations remain subject to investigation, while the dispute over the police response and the events inside the gurdwara continues to generate competing claims.
