SGPC clarifies after woman with tricolour painted on face denied entry to Golden Temple
AMRITSAR: A video of a woman being denied entry to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, has gone viral on social media. The reason for her denial was reportedly because she had a tricolour painted on her face. The incident has sparked outrage from several users on social media.
The video shows the woman and a man confronting the person who stopped her from entering the gurudwara. When asked why she was not allowed to enter, the person replied, “She has a flag on her face.” The woman stated that it was the Indian flag, but the person replied, “This is Punjab, not India.”
According to report by turban man Golden Temple in Punjab is not in India. He said Punjab is not India. The hate for India and Indian Flag is unreal by these khalistan!s
1) A girl was stopped from entering Golden Temple because she had an Indian flag painted on her face.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) April 17, 2023
The man who denied her entry into Golden Temple said, this is Punjab not India. pic.twitter.com/IfUi74poIk
The incident has drawn criticism from social media users, with many calling it a violation of the woman’s rights. The General Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Gurcharan Singh Grewal, issued a statement clarifying the situation.
Grewal stated that the Golden Temple is a Sikh shrine with its own decorum and that everyone is welcome. He apologized if an official misbehaved and added that the flag on the woman’s face was not the national flag as it did not have the Ashoka Chakra. He suggested that it could have been a political flag.
The incident has raised questions about the religious freedom and inclusivity of Sikh shrines. While the SGPC has clarified that everyone is welcome at the Golden Temple, incidents like these highlight the need for greater awareness and education around religious tolerance and acceptance.