Indian Army says no air defence guns were deployed within Golden Temple premises during Operation Sindoor

Day after Indian Army's incharge of air defence Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D'Cunha claimed that air defence guns were deployed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab to neutralise potential threats from Pakistan, the Indian Army has clarified that no gun was deployed at the temple during Operation Sindoor.

The claim emerged following reports that the Golden Temple management had permitted the Army to station air defence guns within the shrine to counter potential drone and missile threats from Pakistan.

"Some media reports are circulating with respect to deployment of AD Guns in the Golden Temple. It is clarified that NO AD guns or any other AD resource was deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (Golden Temple)," an Army statement said.

The additional head priest of the shrine and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), too, have denied the reports of deployment of guns at Golden Temple premises, saying the Indian Army was not given any such permission.

The SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami also said that the administration contacted them about switching off the lights amid escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan.

Additional head granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib, Giani Amarjeet Singh, also confirmed that no defence guns were deployed.

“It is incorrect to say that the Army was given permission to deploy air defence guns at Sri Harmandir Sahib….During the blackout issued by the Amritsar district administration, the management cooperated by switching off exterior and upper lights. However, at places where the religious code of conduct is followed, the lights remained on,” he said.

Giani Amarjeet Singh reiterated that the daily religious practices at Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), the Langar of Guru Ramdas Ji, places of Sri Akhand Path Sahib, and other related gurdwaras were conducted according to strict protocols, and no one has the right to interfere with them.