The Indian Army strongly denied reports claiming it had deployed air defence guns or any other military equipment inside the Golden Temple during Operation Sindoor. The Army said that no such action was taken, and these claims are not true.

“Some media reports are circulating with respect to the deployment of AD (air defence) guns in the Golden Temple. It is clarified that no AD guns or any other AD resource were deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (Golden Temple),” the Army said in a statement.

The reports had claimed that the Golden Temple management allowed the Indian Army to place air defence guns inside the shrine to stop possible drone or missile attacks from Pakistan. These reports quickly became viral on social media and raised concerns about the religious place being used for military purposes.

Temple authorities say no permission was given

Religious leaders and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the top Sikh religious body, also rejected the claims. The SGPC said they were never contacted by the Army for such deployment, and no permission was ever granted.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “The administration contacted them only about switching off the lights during the blackout after the recent escalation of tension between India and Pakistan. They fully cooperated in the interest of administrative responsibility while maintaining the sanctity of the ongoing 'maryada' (conduct).”

He also said, “There was no contact from any Army official regarding the installation of air defence guns at Sri Harmandar Sahib.”

Harmandar Sahib's Head Granthi, Giani Raghbir Singh, also confirmed this. “Although I was on a foreign visit during Operation Sindoor, there was no communication with me regarding any gun deployment, nor did any such incident occur at the Golden Temple,” he said.

The additional head priest of the Golden Temple, Giani Amarjeet Singh, also denied the reports. He said, “It is not true that the Army was allowed to deploy air defence guns within the shrine to counter potential drone and missile threats from Pakistan. This claim was shockingly untrue and outright rejected.”

He added that the management of Harmandar Sahib only followed the district administration’s request to switch off exterior and upper lights of the complex during the blackout period. “Lights at locations where religious codes of conduct are observed were kept on, and the sanctity of the religious place was maintained with full responsibility,” he said.

Mr Singh also said that all daily religious services, including ‘Langar of Guru Ramdas Ji’, ‘Sri Akhand Path Sahib’, and other gurdwara activities, were carried out properly. “No one has the right to interfere with them,” he added.

SGPC chief Dhami said that even during the blackout, devotees were present in large numbers and were doing ‘sewa’ (voluntary service). “Had there been any such event like gun deployment, the Sangat (congregation) would certainly have noticed and seen it,” he said.

He also praised the Army and the nation for their role during the recent tensions but said, “Spreading such falsehoods about the central religious place of Sikhs days after the events is shockingly untrue.” He demanded that the government give a clear explanation.

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