Akal Takht Jathedar Condemns Mansa Police Over Turbans and Articles of Faithਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਨੇ ਮਾਨਸਾ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਦਸਤਾਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਸਰੂਪ ਦੀ ਬੇਅਦਬੀ ਦੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕੀਤੀ

The Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, condemned the police action against protesters in Mansa and the alleged disrespect shown to turbans, unshorn hair (kes) and the articles of faith of Amritdhari Sikhs, The Times of India and The Financial World reported. He demanded strict action against the police officials responsible and cautioned the Punjab Police and the state government that Sikhs would neither forget nor tolerate what he called such shameful and high-handed actions.

What did Gargajj say about the police action?

Gargajj said that instead of protecting the people, the Punjab government was subjecting them to police brutality, and that the people would give an appropriate response at the right time. He said every citizen had the right to hold a peaceful protest, that the government's high-handed treatment of people was unjust, and that governments existed to serve the people, adding that the arrogance and intoxication of power could not last forever.

He said the police should take such action against drug traffickers and stop drug trafficking, instead of targeting people who were demanding action against the drug menace. The alleged disrespect of the turbans, kes and articles of faith of Amritdhari Sikhs, he said, could not be tolerated.

Why is Mansa protesting?

Mansa has seen continuous protests since 13 October, when anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead during a confrontation at a chemist shop in the town. His family and an Insaaf Committee have kept a sit-in running, demanding accountability. The state government has since handed the murder investigation to the CBI, and a sub-divisional DSP and a drug inspector were suspended on 21 October, but the deadlock over Jhota's post-mortem and cremation has continued.

A second flashpoint came on 27 October, when police took away the body of Daljit Singh, a 35-year-old man from Bhamme Kalan village, as his family tried to carry it to the Jhota protest site. The family alleged that Daljit Singh had died of a drug overdose, while police said the case was one of murder. Several protesters, among them activist Lakha Sidhana, were detained after the confrontation, and the National Human Rights Commission has since sought a report from the Punjab Chief Secretary and the DGP over the death and the allegations linked to the police action.

What did he say about the drug problem?

Gargajj said the drug problem in Punjab was extremely serious and that preventing drug abuse and trafficking was a primary responsibility of successive governments, but the present government had, in his words, completely failed in this regard. He appealed to Punjabis, justice-oriented organisations and prominent individuals to take part in large numbers in the ongoing protest at Mansa seeking justice for Parvinder Singh Jhota, whom he referred to as a martyr, and he noted that Daljit Singh's case had come to light after a mysterious death, with the family demanding action against those accused of selling drugs.

Who condemned the Mansa police action?

Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, condemned the action on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, in a statement reported by The Times of India and The Financial World.

What action did Gargajj demand?

He demanded strict action against the police officials responsible for the alleged disrespect to turbans, kes and Sikh articles of faith during the Mansa protests.

Which protests was he referring to?

The protests in Mansa over the 13 October killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and the 27 October confrontation in which police took away the body of Daljit Singh of Bhamme Kalan village.