Latest news with #SGPC
India Today
8 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Amritsar airport receives bomb threat, days after Golden Temple scare
Amritsar Airport received a bomb threat after unknown callers informed airport authorities of a possible explosion. The threat call triggered security alarms, prompting police to register a case and initiate an are currently tracking the phone number used for the threat call. Security measures have been heightened in and around the threat came days after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) received been receiving emails over the past few days threatening to blow up the Golden Temple. The SGPC, the apex body responsible for Sikh religious affairs, has filed another complaint with the police and demanded a thorough Despite the series of threats, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla criticised Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his absence from Amritsar. 'Today is the sixth day of these threats, but Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has not come here even once,' Aujla said, highlighting concerns over the state's handling of the also stressed that securing the Golden Temple is a joint responsibility of both central and state governments. 'The security around the Golden Temple is the responsibility of the central and state governments,' he said to the news agency Friday, police detained a software engineer from Faridabad in connection with the threats. However, another threatening email has surfaced since, renewing concerns about the safety of one of Sikhism's holiest sites.- EndsWith inputs from Watch
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Head granthi slams call for central security forces at Golden Temple
Golden Temple head granthi and former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Saturday took an exception to the demand for deployment of central security forces in wake of multiple bomb threat e-mails received by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). A Punjab Police SWAT team keeps vigil at Heritage Street in Amritsar on Saturday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT) His statement came after Amritsar member of Parliament (MP) Gurjeet Singh Aujla demanded that central government and state government jointly increase security here and Amritsar be declared a 'no-war zone'. One of the threat e-mails were also copied to the Congress MP. However, Aujla refuted media reports claiming that he had demanded 'deployment of the CISF' at Golden Temple. Responding to a query during the interaction, Giani Raghbir Singh said the demand for central forces was wrong. 'The Congress has the history of committing excesses against Sikhs. Its government sent forces to attack Sri Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib. Following this, it massacred thousands Sikhs. It seems this was not enough for it.' 'Staff of the SGPC is efficient enough to ensure security inside Sri Darbar Sahib. Outside it, the administration should perform its duty to provide security to the devotees,' he added. Other Sikh segments also took serious note of the demand for deployment of the central forces. SGPC member and former general secretary Kiranjot Kaur said, 'After Operation Bluestar, Sikhs were allowed to enter the Darbar Sahib only after being thoroughly checked. Are political parties trying to create that same atmosphere again? Let the gurdwara remain a gurdwara—keep your politics out of it.' Former SGPC member and Akal Purakh Ki Fauj chief advocate Jaswinder Singh said, 'What new conspiracy is this? With what authority can such a demand be made without consulting the SGPC? If the SGPC calls Sikhs for security of Darbar Sahib, then the entire Panth will stand here in its support, one after the other.' Since July 14, the SGPC has received at least six e-mails threatening to blow up the Golden Temple. The Punjab Police on Friday had detained a 24-year-old software engineer, Shubham Dubey, from Faridabad, Haryana, in connection with the e-mails. Amritsar commissioner of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said, 'Our investigation is going on. The laptop and other devices recovered from Dubey are full of data. Retrieval of the data is taking time. Secondly, we have got another major lead from another state. Soon we will get a breakthrough in this case.' Investigators said such threat e-mails were landing across different cities in the country, threatening to target worship places, educational institutes, court complexes, etc. Source of threat e-mails traced: CM Chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, while in Barnala on Saturday, said the source of the bomb threat e-mails had been traced and the accused will be given exemplary punishment. Ludhiana MP and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who visited Golden Temple on Saturday evening, said the Centre and state governments were not taking cognisance of the e-mails threatening to target the shrine. He claimed that an e-mail was received even after detention of the Faridabad software engineer. 'This proves that the sender is closely watching the police activity,' he said while addressing the media.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
9 Golden Temple threats in 6 days, CM says guilty persons behind bars soon
1 2 3 Amritsar/Jalandhar: Two more threats of an attack on the Golden Temple were emailed to the SGPC on Saturday, taking the total number of such threats to the shrine to nine in just six days. With concerns over security at the Golden Temple rising, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said in Jalandhar that police were tracing people behind the emails and some IP addresses had been identified. "Soon, guilty persons will be behind bars," he added. The CM's statement came on a day Akal Takht former jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, who now serves as the shrine's head granthi, objected to the demand made by Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla for deploying central security forces at the sacred site. He said the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was capable of ensuring the shrine's internal security and emphasised the govt's role should be limited to preventing disturbances outside the temple complex. "It is both surprising and unfortunate to learn that Gurjit Singh Aujla, a Sikh MP from Amritsar, wrote to the Union home minister requesting the deployment of central forces at the Golden Temple. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Such a suggestion is deeply regrettable, especially from Aujla, who represents the Congress, whose history with the Golden Temple is well known, from the 1984 military attack to the destruction of the Akal Takht and damage to other gurdwaras," said Giani Raghbir. He advised Aujla to refrain from making such a statement. On the issue of threat emails, Giani Raghbir said the situation appeared to be part of a larger conspiracy, especially since the emails continued even after the arrest of a software engineer in connection with the case. "These emails raise serious concerns about who, whether an individual, group, or agency, might be targeting the Golden Temple and attempting to create fear among the sangat (devotees)," he said. He urged the govt to conduct a thorough investigation, intensify the interrogation of those already detained, identify the masterminds behind the threats, and present them before the sangat with exemplary punishment to restore public confidence. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, too, visited the sacred shrine during the day. "One suspect has already been arrested, and we are confident that others involved will be brought to justice," he said, while speaking to media. He said Punjab Police were working day and night to ensure security outside the Darbar Sahib complex, in full accordance with maryada (Sikh code of religious conduct). "Have faith in the Guru's house—our agencies are actively working to apprehend the culprits, and they will be caught very soon," he added. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring slammed the continuous threats. "It is both strange and concerning that there has been no breakthrough," he said. New threats despite arrest The two fresh emails threatening an attack on the Golden Temple come despite the detention of Shubham Dubey, a software engineer from Faridabad, whose involvement remains under investigation. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan said the emails appeared to be originating from different sources, raising concerns about the nature and coordination of the threats.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Amritsar hotel industry faces setbacks amid threat emails, security concerns
1 2 Amritsar: The hotel and tourism industry in Amritsar, already struggling to recover from the Pahalgam terror attack, suffered another setback as reports of threat emails sent to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages the Golden Temple, spread globally. This triggered a surge in security-related inquiries and a wave of booking cancellations. AP Singh Chatha, president of the Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association (Civil Lines), said that hotel bookings dropped by nearly 50% following the news of threat emails sent to the Golden Temple management. "Many devotees who regularly visit the Golden Temple during Sangrand to offer prayers either cancelled or postponed their plans," he said. Chatha explained that bookings already fell to 30% due to Operation Sindoor and have now plunged further to just 15%. He added that tensions with Pakistan severely impacted Amritsar's tourism industry, and uncertainty around the conclusion of Operation Sindoor further damaged traveller confidence. "Before the hospitality sector could recover, the threat emails to the Golden Temple management only worsened tourist sentiment," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You Won't Believe the Price of These Dubai Apartments Binghatti Developers FZE Get Offer Undo Chatha also claimed that one of the hotels in Amritsar received an extortion call in recent days, about which they informed the police. However, Harpreet Singh Chadha, director of HK Clarks, stated that the hotel industry has not experienced any impact following the threat emails received by the SGPC. He explained that the rapid circulation of information through social media, including the content of the emails, helped people quickly recognise them as hoaxes, minimising panic and preventing cancellations. Another director at a star category hotel in Amritsar, who didn't wish to give his name, said that they have been inundated with inquiries from around the world regarding the situation in Amritsar following threat emails received by the Golden Temple management. "Although we haven't had any cancellations specifically due to this incident, the sheer volume of concern from our clients is alarming. We fear potential cancellations or postponements of bookings, similar to what occurred during Operation Sindoor," he said, adding that while the current situation remains under control, the hospitality sector is on alert and closely monitoring developments to manage guest concerns and ensure safety. MSID: 122782231 413 |
United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Golden Temple receives 7th threat email, SGPC questions govt's inaction
Chandigarh, July 19 (UNI) The Golden Temple today received its seventh threat email, continuing a string of disturbing messages over the past week. Speaking to the media, former Akal Takht Jathedar and current Head Granthi Giani Raghbir Singh expressed concern over the silence of the Punjab government. He said despite multiple threats, no official communication has been made with the SGPC Calling the emails a sign of a "larger conspiracy", Giani Raghbir Singh stated that two suspects were arrested yesterday, yet the threats persist, creating fear among devotees. He emphasized that while the shrine's internal administration is capable of handling security, it is the government's responsibility to prevent malicious activities by external elements. He also condemned Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla for writing to the Centre demanding CISF deployment at the shrine, calling it 'highly condemnable' in light of the party's past actions, including the 1984 military assault on Sikh religious institutions. Giani Raghbir urged political parties to stop exploiting the issue and instead unite to ensure justice. He called on the Punjab Chief Minister to urgently engage with the SGPC and take the matter seriously. Despite the threats, he appealed to devotees to continue visiting the Golden Temple without fear. UNI NB AAB
