Seventeen former officials and public figures, including former Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi, have called for an independent, time-bound inquiry into the entry of police personnel into Gurudwara Bangla Sahib during protests in the capital on October 10.
In a letter dated October 11, the signatories expressed “serious concern” over the incident and urged the authorities to establish whether police intervention at the revered Sikh shrine was necessary, justified and conducted with due restraint.
The letter was issued by Citizens for Fraternity-Bharat (CFF-Bharat) and addressed to the lieutenant governor of Delhi and the Delhi Police Commissioner. Copies were sent to the Prime Minister, the Union home minister and the chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities. Former Patna High Court Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari was among those who signed it.
“Places of worship must not become extensions of police operations during public demonstrations,” the letter said.
Jung chairs CFF-Bharat, an informal citizens’ group that seeks to promote fraternity, dialogue and social harmony. Its letterhead describes its objectives as advancing harmony, dialogue, constitutional values and fraternity.
Police clarification fails to settle concerns
The controversy followed demonstrations called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 10 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protests were linked to demands for his resignation, prompting heightened security across Delhi.
Videos circulated on social media allegedly showed Delhi Police personnel entering the gurudwara premises wearing shoes during preventive security operations. The footage spread rapidly, bringing the conduct of security personnel at a place of worship into the wider political debate surrounding the demonstrations.
Delhi Police rejected the allegations, saying the footage showed personnel walking through a common passage leading to the area where visitors remove their footwear. It described the claims as misleading and said they had been circulated with “malicious intent”. Police also said their own video supported their account of the incident.
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee subsequently lodged a complaint, following which police registered a first information report (FIR) naming Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders in connection with the protest and the videos.
The dispute has since taken on both political and legal dimensions. One interpretation of the footage argued that images of personnel in the common passage were quickly turned into a political allegation that police had entered the gurudwara. The FIR has added a legal dimension to the controversy, alongside calls for an independent inquiry.
Two issues remain central to the dispute: whether police personnel crossed the point where visitors leave their footwear, as alleged and denied by the police, and whether their presence in or near the shrine complex was necessary in the first place. The letter focuses on the latter question.
Signatories stress sanctity of religious institutions
Bangla Sahib, situated near Connaught Place, is one of Delhi's most visited Sikh shrines. The letter emphasises its longstanding tradition of offering refuge and assistance to everyone, arguing that this must not be compromised by political confrontation.
Visitors are expected to remove their footwear before entering a Sikh place of worship, and entering with shoes on is considered disrespectful. The footage therefore triggered strong reactions, with the signatories stressing that the sanctity and autonomy of religious institutions deserve “the highest degree of respect”.
While acknowledging the police clarification, the letter said it did not settle the “fundamental question” of whether entering a revered religious institution was necessary, justified and undertaken with appropriate restraint.
The signatories have called for an “independent, transparent and time-bound inquiry” into the circumstances surrounding the police entry and the extent of the intervention. They want the investigation to examine any objections raised by the gurudwara authorities and establish whether established religious protocols were followed.
Call for guidelines to prevent future incidents
The letter acknowledges the State's “unquestionable duty” to maintain public order. However, it stresses that this responsibility must be exercised within constitutional limits, with sensitivity towards religious practices and respect for human dignity.
The signatories have also urged Delhi Police to frame clear operational guidelines in consultation with religious management bodies. They said the measures should help prevent “unnecessary police intrusion into places of worship”.
“Public order cannot be maintained at the cost of public trust, religious dignity or constitutional freedoms,” the letter said.
The group expects the authorities to respond to its concerns promptly and make the inquiry's findings, along with any corrective measures, public.