DSGMC Files Complaint Against Kejriwal, AAP Over Bangla Sahib Rowਬੰਗਲਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵਿਵਾਦ: DSGMC ਨੇ ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ, ਆਪ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਇਤ ਦਿੱਤੀ

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on Sunday approached the Delhi Police with a complaint against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders, accusing them of disrupting the sanctity of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib during Saturday's protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, news agency PTI reported. The committee alleged that AAP workers and supporters raised political slogans inside the shrine and circulated misleading videos of the incident.

What has the DSGMC alleged?

According to PTI, the complaint alleges that AAP workers and supporters entered the gurdwara, staged protests, created a disturbance and used the sacred premises for political purposes. The complaint states: "The protesters also raised political slogans inside the sacred premises, disturbing the religious atmosphere and violating the sanctity and maryada of Guru Ghar. Such deliberate political activity inside a revered place of worship has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh Sangat."

DSGMC president Harmit Singh Kalka said the complaint would be filed at the DCP's office on Parliament Street. He accused AAP of "dirty politics" and said the gurdwara is "not arena for your politics". The committee also said Gurdwara Bangla Sahib stands for compassion and selfless service, open to everyone regardless of caste, creed or religion, and that no police officer or protester was allowed inside the sanctum during the incident.

How did the row begin?

The controversy erupted on Saturday, 10 October, when protesters attempting to reach Jantar Mantar for the anti-CEC demonstration took shelter at Bangla Sahib. Police stopped them from proceeding and detained them. More than 3,000 people, including Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and Pinarayi Vijayan, were detained across Delhi. AAP alleged that police personnel entered the gurdwara wearing shoes, a claim Delhi Police denied.

Police deny entering the sanctum with shoes

New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said on X that the circulated video shows police staff in the common passage used by all devotees to reach the point where shoes are taken off, and that the same process applies to everyone entering. He said the video had been circulated with malicious intent to outrage religious feelings, and that legal action was being initiated.

BJP approaches the minorities panel

Separately, BJP national spokesperson and former Delhi MLA RP Singh petitioned National Commission for Minorities chairman Sardar Harjit Singh Grewal, seeking urgent intervention over alleged political gatherings, slogan-shouting and placard displays inside the shrine. Singh said gurdwaras are places of faith, not political battlegrounds, and that respect for the sanctity of Guru Ghar must apply to every party and ideology.

What happens next?

The DSGMC complaint has been handed to the Delhi Police. The row adds a religious dimension to Saturday's crackdown on the anti-CEC protest, over which the Supreme Court has already commented on the capital's curbs. AAP has not yet responded publicly to the complaint.

Why did the DSGMC file a complaint against AAP leaders?

The committee alleges that AAP leaders and workers used Gurdwara Bangla Sahib for political slogans and protest activity during the anti-CEC agitation, hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikh Sangat.

Did the police enter the gurdwara wearing shoes?

Delhi Police deny it. The DCP says the circulated video shows officers in the common passage where footwear is still worn, not inside the sanctum, and legal action is being initiated over the clip.

Who is Harmit Singh Kalka?

He is the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, the body that manages gurdwaras in the capital, including Bangla Sahib.