India Condemns Demolition of 125-Year-Old Historic Sikh Shrine in Pakistan, Demands Immediate Action and Restoration

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Wednesday that the reports of the demolition were extremely painful and alarming. He said India considers the act highly condemnable and described it as a deliberate act of vandalism. The ministry reiterated that religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan continue to face systematic attacks, adding that the incident reflects the broader pattern of religious intolerance and sectarian violence prevailing in the country.

The Ministry of External Affairs expressed serious concern over the reported lack of meaningful action by the local administration and the Evacuee Trust Property Board. According to the ministry, the absence of prompt intervention by the responsible authorities has further intensified concerns regarding the protection of minority religious sites in Pakistan.

India urged the Government of Pakistan to conduct an immediate, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident and ensure strict punishment for those responsible. The ministry also demanded the immediate reconstruction of the demolished portion of the Gurdwara and called upon Pakistan to fulfill its responsibility of safeguarding the security, dignity, and religious freedom of minorities residing in the country. India further urged Pakistan to eliminate the atmosphere of religious intolerance and sectarian violence.

According to reports, the historic Gurdwara Singh Sabha, located near Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farrukhabad, was targeted by unidentified individuals during the night between June 24 and June 25. The incident triggered widespread anger and resentment within the Sikh community.

Following the demolition, a delegation from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee met officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and submitted a memorandum seeking strong intervention by the Government of India. The delegation requested immediate measures to prevent any further damage to Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib and demanded the reconstruction of the damaged sections. The committee also urged decisive action to prevent repeated attacks on religious sites and heritage structures belonging to minority communities in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Sikh representative Bhupinder Singh from Nankana Sahib released a video message claiming that the 125-year-old Gurdwara was demolished using bulldozers during the night of the eighth and ninth days of Muharram. He stated that the shrine was not merely a place of worship but a significant center of Sikh history and identity. According to him, the site played a crucial role in strengthening the Singh Sabha Movement, which made a historic contribution to the revival of Sikh religion and culture.

Bhupinder Singh said the Singh Sabha Movement began in Amritsar in 1873 and gained an organized structure in Lahore in 1879. He stated that the movement provided a new direction to the Sikh community and reinforced its religious and cultural identity. He asserted that the destruction of such a historic site was not simply the demolition of bricks and stones but an attempt to erase an entire cultural and religious legacy.

He further alleged that this was not the first such incident in Pakistan. He referred to the earlier demolition of Gurdwara Chobacha Sahib in Dharampura, a shrine associated with the Sixth Sikh Guru. He claimed that even in that case, the Evacuee Trust Property Board failed to take any meaningful action. According to him, repeated incidents of this nature demonstrate that the religious heritage of minority communities remains unsafe in Pakistan.

The reported attack on the historic Gurdwara in Farrukhabad has now extended beyond being an internal matter of Pakistan and has emerged as another serious example of religious intolerance, extremism, and the alleged persecution of minority communities. India's strongly worded response underscores the growing international attention surrounding the issue and reinforces its demand for accountability, restoration of the damaged shrine, and effective protection of minority religious heritage in Pakistan.