Chandigarh-Bharatiya Janata Party leader and senior Supreme Court advocate H.S. Phoolka has accused the Aam Aadmi Party of allegedly attempting to create a false narrative about the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib incident under the pretext of the protest held on October 10, and of conspiring to disturb peace in Punjab. Advocate Phoolka was addressing the media at the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh. BJP leaders S.S. Channi and Parampal Kaur Maluka, along with the party’s State Media Coordinator Vineet Joshi, were also present on the occasion.
Advocate Phoolka said that attempts to turn a sacred place such as Gurdwara Sahib into a venue for political demonstrations were deeply unfortunate. He rejected AAP’s claims that people had been detained from within the premises of Gurdwara Sahib. Based on this claim, an AAP delegation had also approached Sri Akal Takht Sahib with a complaint.
Phoolka Challenges Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann
Advocate Phoolka directly challenged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating that if his claims were substantiated, he should release the video that would establish that girls had been mistreated within the Gurdwara premises, as he had alleged.
Phoolka stated that the protesters had entered the area inside the Gurdwara’s entrance gate, where they displayed posters, raised slogans and delivered political speeches. He said that the sevadars had attempted to stop the protesters, but they did not heed the management’s instructions. According to Phoolka, most of the protesters were supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party.
No Arrests Took Place Inside the Gurdwara: Phoolka
Phoolka said that the Delhi Police remained outside the main entrance gate of Gurdwara Sahib and that the protesters were taken into custody from outside. He also stated that the sevadars had made it clear to the police that the religious decorum of the Gurdwara should be respected and that action should not be taken within its premises.
He alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party subsequently released a video of the police and attempted to present it as footage of an incident inside the Gurdwara complex. However, according to Phoolka, the pathway visible in the video was outside the complex. He said that the complete CCTV footage and all available videos should be examined impartially to establish the facts of the incident.
Phoolka said that Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party should rise above politics, respect the sanctity and traditions of religious institutions, and refrain from actions that could disturb peace in Punjab.