Meat, alcohol served at Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan, say reports; Sikh community livid over desecration

New Delhi: Amid the reports of blasphemous acts at Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara complex in Pakistan, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the people who organized an alcohol party inside the Gurudwara premises.

“The PMU Kartarpur Corridor committee in Narowal including the local Deputy Commissioner and DSP of Kartarpur Gurdwara administration organised a dance party, consumed alcohol and meat…Strict action should be taken against them. I condemn this act strongly and appeal to the Pakistan Govt to register a case against them and put them behind bars,” he said.

I strongly condemn the sacrilegious incident involving alcohol and meat consumption within the sacred premises of Gurudwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib. It’s particularly disheartening that the Kartarpur Gurdwara committee administration was involved in this.

Urgently calling… pic.twitter.com/BK5WGr7wdH

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) November 19, 2023

Moreover, Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh also called the incident as “unfortunate” and asked the Pakistan government to take strict action against the perpetrators.

“This is really unfortunate. Pakistan government should know that Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara is a place of worship for us. They should take action against those responsible” Giani Harpreet Singh said.

The Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) spokesperson, Gurcharan Singh Grewal while reiterating the Sikh community’s call for taking action against the culprits, asked the Jathedar of Akal Takht Kartarpur Sahib to clear his stand on the matter and ensure that such incidents would not happen again.

“The entire Sikh community condemns this shameful incident. Pakistan’s government should take action in this matter. I request the Jathedar of Akal Takht Kartarpur Sahib to clear their stand on this. so that such incident would not happen in future” Gurcharan Singh Grewal said.

In a similar incident in 2021, a Pakistani model’s bareheaded photos within the Gurdwara complex sparked widespread criticism on social media.

Expressing concern over the incident, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka have taken note of the video and its potential implications, Khalsa Vox reported.

SGPC president Dhami emphasized that if the event occurred within the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib complex, it would constitute a violation of ‘maryada’ and Sikh sentiments, particularly in a place so closely associated with Guru Nanak Dev.

This incident has reignited concerns about the need for strict adherence to Sikh ‘rehat maryada’ and the responsible management of religious sites.

Notably, the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib holds immense significance for Sikhs worldwide, and any perceived disrespect is bound to evoke strong reactions from the Sikh community, Khalsa Vox reported.