NEW DELHI: Senior Sikh Advocate and BJP leader HS Phoolka has raised serious questions over the alleged protest held inside the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib premises on October 10. He alleged that the incident may have been part of a planned conspiracy, claiming that an investigation would reveal that the protesters who entered the gurdwara premises were Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers.
He alleged that protesters who had long been staying at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib while participating in demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, Boat Club and other locations had this time staged a protest inside the gurdwara premises.
HS Phoolka is widely known for his decades-long legal battle for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, representing survivors and seeking punishment for those accused of involvement in the violence.
He claimed that videos circulating on social media showed some protesters sitting with banners and delivering speeches inside the premises. According to Phoolka, the protesters continued despite being asked to stop by the sevadars.
Phoolka alleged that the incident could have been part of a calculated strategy to force the police to intervene and subsequently create a narrative that police personnel had entered the gurdwara. He called for an impartial investigation into the incident.
The BJP leader also alleged that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers could have been involved in the episode. However, he did not publicly present direct evidence to substantiate the allegation and called for an investigation to establish the facts.
Notably, Delhi Police will initiate legal action over a video circulated on social media allegedly showing police personnel wearing shoes inside Gurdwara Bangla Sahib during a crackdown on agitators demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, an official said on Saturday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma, in a post on the official police handle on X, said the personnel seen in the video were walking through a common passage used by devotees to reach the point where they remove their shoes before entering the gurdwara.
“The video has been circulated deliberately with malicious intent, to outrage the feelings of a respectable religious community and is prejudicial to the religious harmony,” Sharma said, adding that legal action was being initiated.
The video surfaced amid a controversy over police personnel entering the gurdwara premises as some protesters, facing police action during demonstrations against the CEC, sought refuge there.
It is to be noted that, Police said permission for the protest had not been granted and prohibitory orders were in force in the New Delhi area.
Earlier, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka on Saturday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the presence of protesters at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Expressing displeasure over the incident, Kalka accused AAP leaders of indulging in what he described as “dirty politics” and attempting to drag gurdwaras into political controversies.
“A protest was held in Delhi today, and I am surprised to see the dirty politics that Aam Aadmi Party leaders have started playing in its wake and how they have started defaming gurdwaras. A gurdwara is open to people from all communities, and everyone is served there. Protesters entered the gurdwara and tried to forcibly enter its hall,” Kalka said.
He alleged that protesters entered the gurdwara premises despite efforts by the management to stop them, sat inside, raised slogans and displayed placards brought for the demonstration.
“Today, the protesters entered the gurdwara premises, raised slogans, put up banners and posters, and sat there. This hurts the sanctity of the gurdwara. When the police arrived to remove them, our manager ensured that no police personnel or protesters climbed the stairs and entered the Darbar Hall. The protesters were making strong attempts to enter the hall and raise slogans inside,” he said.
Kalka maintained that Gurdwara Bangla Sahib welcomes people from all communities, but its premises should not be used as a platform for political demonstrations. He also stressed that the management had taken steps to prevent the protesters and police personnel from entering the Darbar Hall.
DGSC Secretary Jagdip kahlon also slammed AAP govt over Police entering Gurdwara premises. Kahlon says AAP should refrain from indulging politics on the Gurdwara & also urges the protestors to maintain the decorum & not carry the protest plaques, Gurdwara Sahib is place of worship, everyone is welcome for Food (langar) & shelter but no protest inside Gurdwara premises.
The incident has triggered a wider debate over the use of religious premises during political protests, particularly when demonstrators seek shelter at places of worship to avoid police action.
BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu also criticised AAP and its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, over the incident, calling for an apology to the Sikh community.
In his statement, Bittu said, “Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib is a sacred sanctuary of Gurbani, seva, and prayer—not an arena for political stunts and sloganeering. Compromising Sikh Maryada for petty politics is unacceptable. Arvind Kejriwal and AAP must tender an unconditional apology to the Sikh Sangat immediately.”
The controversy has also prompted questions about maintaining Sikh religious decorum and Maryada, within gurdwara premises. Gurdwaras are places of worship, prayer and seva, and visitors are expected to respect the established religious protocols, including covering their heads.
The episode has brought the sanctity of religious institutions into focus, with calls for places of worship to remain spaces of faith, service and community rather than venues for political confrontation.
