BJP’s Manjinder Sirsa alleges meat, liquor served at Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara event

| Updated: 20 November, 2023 11:15 pm IST

NEW DELHI : Firebrand BJP leader and former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, has accused the Kartarpur Gurdwara administration of a sacrilegious act.

He wrote a letter to Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, urging immediate intervention in the matter, emphasizing that as a non-Sikh, he may not fully grasp the intricacies of Sikh maryada.

Taking to microblogging site X, Sirsa wrote, “My written submission to Hon’ble EAM @DrSJaishankar Ji highlighting the sacrilege happening at Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and seeking his intervention to safeguard the faith of the minorities from such blatant attacks in Pakistan.”

According to Sirsa, a dance party was allegedly organized within the sacred Kartarpur Sahib complex. Expressing his concern, Sirsa has called on the Pakistan government to take “strict action” against those responsible.

View His Tweet Here:

My written submission to Hon’ble EAM @DrSJaishankar Ji highlighting the sacrilege happening at Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and seeking his intervention to safeguard the faith of the minorities from such blatant attacks in Pakistan.@ANI @PTI_News @ABPNews @thetribunechd pic.twitter.com/OU7kFeD4eU

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) November 20, 2023

In a scathing statement, he demanded the dissolution of the Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for Kartarpur Corridor, citing their alleged lack of knowledge about Sikh Maryada. Sirsa underscored the fears expressed in 2021 regarding potential blasphemous acts, stating, “Our fear has come true when video of CEO Sayed Abu Bakar Qureshi drinking alcohol and eating meat at Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara complex went viral yesterday!!”

FLASH : Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s (@mssirsa) letter to the Foreign Minister exposes concerns over Kartarpur Sahib incident.

Strong objection to a non-Sikh appointed as CEO of PMU Kartarpur Corridor in 2021 by #Pakistan Government.

Shocking images and videos emerge of dancing,… pic.twitter.com/p5lDOL1tBn

— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) November 20, 2023

This is not the first time Sirsa has raised concerns about the management of Kartarpur Corridor. In 2021, he voiced disagreement over the appointment of a non-Sikh person as the CEO of PMU Kartarpur Corridor. Expressing profound dismay, he accused CEO Sayed Abu Bakar Qureshi of organising a non-vegetarian party in the Gurdwara Shri Darbar Sahib complex, attended by officials including Mohammad Sharukh, Deputy Commissioner Narowal, and District Police Officer Narowal.

Sirsa argued, “Sikh community worldwide feels betrayed by this disrespect to the sacred site where Guru Nanak Dev ji took his last breath. I demand swift accountability and action from @GovtofPakistan in this regard.”

ALSO READ: Mizoram’s political odyssey: The trilogy of 3 parties and beyond

Highlighting the recurrence of such incidents, Sirsa emphasised, “This is not the first time blasphemous actions have happened at Sri Kartarpur Sahib… such derogatory things have happened time & again but @GovtofPakistan didn’t take any action against the Board for making Sri Kartarpur Sahib a picnic spot!”

In 2021, India raised concerns about handing over the responsibility of managing and maintaining Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur Sahib to a non-Sikh group. However, despite these objections, the Pakistan government has once again chosen a non-Sikh individual to be the new CEO of the Project Management Unit (PMU). The PMU has been specifically created to handle the daily operations of the Kartarpur Corridor.