AMRITSAR, October 12, 2026: The controversy surrounding police action near Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib in Delhi has now reached Sri Akal Takht Sahib, with a delegation of Aam Aadmi Party leaders seeking intervention over allegations that Sikh religious protocol was violated during police action connected with a protest.
The delegation reached the Sri Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat in Amritsar and submitted a representation concerning the incident. The leaders urged Sikh religious authorities to examine what happened at the gurdwara and take an appropriate position after considering the available facts.
The dispute emerged after videos from the Delhi protest began circulating widely on social media. AAP leaders alleged that police personnel entered the gurdwara premises while wearing shoes and without covering their heads while pursuing or removing protesters.
The party has described the matter as an issue involving the sanctity of a Sikh religious place and has demanded accountability over the police action. Its leaders have argued that any entry into a gurdwara in violation of established maryada should be treated seriously.
Police authorities, however, have disputed that version of events. Their position is that personnel seen in the circulating footage were in a common access area leading towards the point where visitors remove their footwear, and that the video does not establish that officers entered the main worship area in violation of religious protocol.
The controversy has also become more complex because the management of Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib has raised separate concerns about political activity inside the religious complex during the protest.
According to the management’s version, protesters were provided shelter and langar, but questions later arose over slogans and political material allegedly being used within the premises. The matter has consequently developed beyond a simple disagreement over police entry, with differing claims now being examined from religious, legal and political perspectives.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has also taken note of the episode and stressed that the dignity, sanctity and established maryada of gurdwaras must be respected under all circumstances.
AAP leaders approaching Sri Akal Takht Sahib have sought intervention from the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, arguing that the matter involves broader questions about respect for Sikh institutions and religious practices.
At this stage, however, there has been no final determination by Sri Akal Takht Sahib fixing responsibility for the incident. The representation submitted by the delegation is part of the process of bringing the issue before Sikh religious authorities.
Several videos and competing accounts of the incident remain in circulation. Establishing precisely where the police personnel were standing, what prompted their movement and whether religious protocol was breached will require assessment of complete footage rather than isolated clips.
The issue is likely to remain under focus as Sikh religious institutions, police authorities and the parties involved continue to place their respective versions on record.
For permission to reuse our original reporting or images, contact The Jalandhar Times.
