Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on October 11, 2026, filed a police complaint against AAP leaders, including party chief Arvind Kejriwal, over alleged disruptions at Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and circulation of “misleading” videos during the CJP agitation.
Notably, a large number of CJP protesters gathered on the gurdwara premises on October 10 while trying to reach Jantar Mantar to join the protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The DSGMC alleged that the protesters violated the sanctity of the gurdwara’s sacred ‘Guru Ghar’ by raising slogans and attempting to use the premises for political activities.
DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka said the protesters had initially been allowed to enter the gurdwara, where they were offered langar and shelter. However, he alleged that they subsequently took out posters from their bags and began protesting.
“They came inside with just a bag and we let them in… We gave them langar and let them stay. After getting in, they started taking out posters from their bags and protested,” Kalka alleged.
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.
He said the gurdwara had previously provided shelter to people participating in protests but would not tolerate the use of its premises for political activities.
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.
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 October 10.
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.
Notably, Police said permission for the protest had not been granted and prohibitory orders were in force in the New Delhi area.
It is to be noted that, 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.
