No air defence was deployed at Golden Temple, says Army
The Army today outrightly rejected media reports citing the deployment of air defence guns on the premises of the Golden Temple.
An Army official said, “It is clarified that no air defence guns or any other air defence resource was deployed on the premises of Darbar Sahib, Amritsar.”
The statement came within hours of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) having denied claims that quoted Army Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha saying “air defence guns were deployed at the Golden Temple amid the recent India-Pakistan tensions”.
Giani Amarjeet Singh, Additional Head Granthi, termed the statement of the Army official as “shockingly untrue and outrightly rejected it” on X.
“No such permission was ever granted, nor was any such deployment allowed at this sacred site,” the SGPC posted on X.
He expressed surprise and concern over why such a statement was made by the Army officer and asserted that no permission for installing guns was
ever given.
The SGPC’s post on X said, “The exterior and upper lights of the complex were switched off within the specified time frame of the blackout. However, lights at locations where religious code of conduct (maryada) is observed were kept on, and the sanctity of the religious place was maintained.”
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the administration contacted them only about switching off the lights during the blackout.
The sanctity was completely maintained, he said. Dhami acknowledged the commendable role played by the Indian Armed Forces and the citizens during the tense situation.
Punjab