Why Bangla Sahib police entry row fuels AAP vs BJP vs SAD, lands in Akal Takht | Political Pulse News
The controversy over the alleged entry of the Delhi Police personnel and protesters into the premises of Delhi’s Bangla Sahib gurdwara has reached the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, with political parties trading charges over the alleged violation of religious protocol.
On Monday, a delegation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from Punjab met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj and submitted a letter alleging that the Delhi police entered the national capital’s gurdwara in uniform, wearing shoes and without covering their heads, and that the community members were forced out of the complex.
Describing the incident as a serious matter affecting Sikh sentiments, AAP leaders sought the summoning of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the Akal Takht, arguing that Delhi Police falls under the Union Home Ministry.
The AAP delegation also said the incident had revived painful memories of 1984 (Operation Blue Star) that continue to haunt the Sikh community. Those who met the Jathedar included MLAs Baljinder Kaur, Karambir Singh Ghumman, Jasvir Singh Raja, Inderbir Singh Nijjar, Harmeet Singh Sandhu, Gurdeep Singh Dhillon, Jeevanjot Kaur, Kulwant Singh Pandori, Sarvan Singh Dhun, Kulwant Singh Gyaspura and Dalbir Singh Tong.
Akal Takht stresses on maryada
In a written statement issued on behalf of the Akal Takht Jathedar, its spokesperson Jaskaran Singh said gurdwaras have an established “maryada (religious code of conduct)” that must not be violated.
“Political activities and protests inside gurdwaras are not permissible unless they are rooted in Gurmat philosophy and Sikh principles. No one should enter a gurdwara carrying banners or placards associated with a protest,” he added.
If police personnel entered the premises, it was the responsibility of the gurdwara management to prevent such entry, Jaskaran Singh said, holding the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) primarily responsible for upholding the maryada.
He said the Akal Takht had received further complaints and letters on the matter, which would be examined.
Emphasising that gurdwaras are open to all, he said visitors were welcome as long as they respected the prescribed religious protocol. “However, gurdwaras could not be used as platforms for political activities, sit-ins or protests,” he added.
Jaskaran Singh also appealed to political parties to keep their activities away from gurdwaras and urged Sikh leaders to refrain from unnecessary statements amid the ongoing protests.
CJP condemns police
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s co-convenor Saurav Das, in a post on X on October 11, described the police’s alleged entry into the Delhi gurdwara “in shoes, no head cover, and with weapons” as “utterly condemnable”. “No matter what ideology one belongs to, our places of worship should never be insulted in this manner!” he wrote.
DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka, a BJP leader, mounted a counter-offensive, filing a complaint against the AAP and its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal over what he alleged was a coordinated entry, the raising of political slogans, disruption of maryada and the circulation of misleading videos blaming the gurdwara management.
Kalka maintained that the police had used a passage rather than entering the Darbar Hall, but conceded that they “should not have entered in uniform”.
He said a few police personnel had briefly passed through an area where footwear was permitted and head coverings were not mandatory, before the subsequent protest activity. He also denied allegations that women had been mishandled.
Former DSGMC president Manjit Singh G K, however, questioned Kalka’s defence of the police entry, asking whether the complex had officially been treated as a place of custody.
“If the police treated the gurdwara complex as a place of custody,” he said, questions arose over whether Section 163 of the BNS had been effectively enforced within the premises.
SAD in a spot
The controversy has put the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in a difficult position amid speculation about a possible alliance with the BJP for the 2027 Assembly polls.
SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal posted that she “strongly condemned the Delhi Police entering the sacred premises” and described the alleged manhandling of women as “completely unacceptable”, adding that the police “must be held accountable”.
The post was subsequently deleted, reportedly triggering speculation about the political implications of her stand. Screenshots continued to circulate, drawing criticism from the Akali Dal’s political opponents.
The party now faces a dilemma: a strong defence of Sikh religious sentiments could complicate a possible rapprochement with the BJP, while silence risks inviting accusations that it has compromised on Panthic concerns.
BJP MP Vikramjit Singh put more pressure on the SAD, asking in an X post: “Is using Gurdwara premises for rally slogans & speeches right?” He also urged Harsimrat to provide proof of the alleged mishandling of women inside the Delhi gurdwara complex.
Within the Akali camp, Delhi SAD chief and former DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna took a different position. He urged Shah and state police chiefs to issue guidelines barring police personnel from entering gurdwaras without observing religious protocol.
Stressing that gurdwaras are places of shelter and “sewa (service)”, Sarna said protesters should not be dragged out of the premises. He also rejected the police’s claim that its personnel had merely passed through the complex, saying he had video evidence showing them pursuing protesters there.
