Girl with Indian flag painted on face denied entry into Golden Temple

The sewadar, an SGPC employee, who denied her entry, was heard purportedly saying “This is Punjab, not India” when the girl said this was the Indian flag.

Amritsar:In a shocking incident, a girl with Indian flag painted on her face was denied entry into the Golden Temple by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) employee. She alleged that she was denied entry over the tricolour row. The sewadar, an SGPC employee, who denied her entry, was heard purportedly saying “This is Punjab, not India” when the girl said this was the Indian flag.

In the 40-second video clip, two people accompanying the woman were heard asking the guard “Is the Golden Temple not in India?” On being asked why the girl was not being allowed to enter the holy shrine, he pointed out the flag painted on the woman’s face. Tendering an apology for misbehaviour by its employees towards the visitors, SGPC General Secretary Gurcharan Grewal told the media that this is a Sikh shrine. Every religious place has its own decorum.

“We welcome everyone. We apologise if an official misbehaved. The flag on her face was not our national flag as it didn’t have Ashoka Chakra. It could have been a political flag.” Slamming the people for criticising the SGPC on the social media, he said, “Don’t these people know that Sikhs have played a great part in India’s Independence? Will anyone tweet about who sacrificed 90 out of 100 heads for the national flag?, he reminded.

"SGPC on the social media, he said, “Don’t these people know that Sikhs have played a great part in India’s Independence? Will anyone tweet about, who sacrificed 90 out of 100 heads for the national flag? The Sikhs are being defamed intentionally," he said. (With agency inputs)