All posts tagged: Sikh

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann says all Sikh MLAs to appear before Akal Takht over anti-sacrilege law

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann says all Sikh MLAs to appear before Akal Takht over anti-sacrilege law

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All Sikh MLAs and cabinet ministers will appear before the Akal Takht, which summoned them on June 29 regarding the anti-sacrilege law, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he has not been summoned. (PTI) His statement came after a closed-door meeting with the party MLAs in Amritsar to decide the course of action in view of the directions of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. Following the meeting, Mann held a press conference in Amritsar where he was flanked by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who was on a three-day visit to Punjab. Mann shared details that the party’s Sikh MLAs and ministers will appear before the Akal Takht, while Kejriwal restricted himself to speaking about building a grand temple dedicated to Luv-Kush and Mata Janaki near the Bhagwan Valmiki Temple in Amritsar. Our MLAs and ministers will go there and present their sides in writing, Mann said while speaking to reporters in Amritsar. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, on June 15, …

Group of Nihangs storm gurdwara in Rudraprayag, hold Sikh devotee hostage on roof

Group of Nihangs storm gurdwara in Rudraprayag, hold Sikh devotee hostage on roof

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A group of Nihangs, armed with spears and swords, stormed a gurdwara in Rudraprayag and took a Sikh devotee hostage on the roof of the building to demand the release of four members of the sect who were arrested following a clash in Chamoli on June 16, police said on Sunday (June 21, 2026). A heavy police force was deployed at the site following the standoff that began on Saturday (June 20, 2026) evening and is still on, even though the district administration on Sunday (June 21, 2026) said the situation is fully under control and peaceful. An officer said police are parleying with a Nihang member about ending the hostage situation. “The police, district administration, and the Gurudwara management committee are in constant dialogue with the Nihang Sikhs, attempting to understand their concerns and find a solution,” Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar said. “The talks have yielded positive results; one of the Nihangs has come down from the roof to speak with the administration and police, and dialogue with the remaining individuals is …

Nihangs take Sikh devotee hostage in Rudraprayag gurdwara, demand release of 4 arrested in Karnaprayag clash

Nihangs take Sikh devotee hostage in Rudraprayag gurdwara, demand release of 4 arrested in Karnaprayag clash

Published by Parlour News

A group of Nihangs have allegedly taken a Sikh devotee hostage on the terrace of a gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, demanding the release of four members of the sect who were arrested following violence in Karnaprayag on June 16. Nihangs atop a gurdwara in Rudraprayag demand release of four sect members arrested after the Chamoli clash. (PTI) Police officials were attempting to negotiate with the Nihangs, assuring them that no action will be taken against them and that they will be given safe passage back to Punjab if they release the devotee, according to PTI. However, the group has not responded to these assurances, till the time of reporting. The gurdwara is located in the Nagrasu area, between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath highway. Also Read | ‘Swords not for offensive purposes’: Hemkund Sahib Trust chairperson after clash Sardar Beant Singh, who built the Nagrasu gurdwara, told reporters that a group of six Nihangs arrived at the shrine on Saturday evening and asked for 50-60 rooms, claiming that an equal number of Sikhs …

SC refuses to entertain PIL for protection, audit of Sikh religious properties

SC refuses to entertain PIL for protection, audit of Sikh religious properties

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New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a slew of directions for protection, audit and regulation of Sikh religious and heritage properties across the country. SC refuses to entertain PIL for protection, audit of Sikh religious properties A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi asked petitioner Charanjeet Singh, who appeared in person and argued his case, to raise his grievances before the Parliamentary Petitions Committee. Singh, who was also attached to a Delhi Sikh body, at one point bowed before the bench and urged it to issue notice. “I bow before you. Please issue a notice on my petition,” Singh said. The CJI said while the doors of the court are always open, the relief sought fell within the legislative domain. “The court is here for you; you may come whenever you wish. But these issues require amendments to the law, for which you must go to Parliament. You should approach the Petition Committee of Parliament,” the CJI said. “If we step in, it might …

Dhurandhar 2 controversy: R Madhavan reacts to Sikh community`s complaint

Dhurandhar 2 controversy: R Madhavan reacts to Sikh community`s complaint

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While Aditya Dhar`s Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge is a huge success at the box office, the makers ruffled some feathers with one of the scenes where R Madhavan recites a verse from the Gurbani while smoking a cigarette. Members of the Sikh Community filed a complaint against the makers alleging hurting religious sentiments with the scene. Now, actor R Madhavan who was a part of the scene has issued a clarification on the matter, saying that they did not wish to hurt any sentiments with the scene.  R Madhavan issues clarification on Gurbani scene R Madhavan who plays Ajay Sanyal in the film stated that he might have had the cigarette at the beginning of the scene, but he had properly put it out way before speaking his lines. “This is a misunderstanding. Because I am sure that during this scene, before saying this line, Aditya Dhar Ji, who takes care of all these things more than me, had told me that while saying this line, you should not smoke and there will be no …

R Madhavan Addresses Sikh Community Backlash Over Dhurandhar: The Revenge Scene

R Madhavan Addresses Sikh Community Backlash Over Dhurandhar: The Revenge Scene

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R Madhavan has addressed the controversy surrounding a scene from Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, which recently sparked strong reactions online. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the actor shared a video message to clarify the situation after members of the Sikh community raised objections. The issue stemmed from a scene where he was believed to be smoking while reciting a sacred Gurbani verse. In his statement, Madhavan explained that the assumption was incorrect. He clarified that the cigarette had already been put out before he delivered the dialogue. According to him, there was no smoking involved at the time of recitation, and the scene has been misunderstood.  The actor also recalled that director Aditya Dhar was particular about this detail during the shoot. Emphasising that there was no intention to hurt sentiments, Madhavan said, “I remember I had stubbed out a cigarette. There is no smoke coming out of my mouth in that scene. There is no cigarette in the said scene. We do not want to hurt anyone’s sentiments. We are with the …

R Madhavan clarifies smoking scene in Dhurandhar 2, assures members of Sikh community no disrespect intended

R Madhavan clarifies smoking scene in Dhurandhar 2, assures members of Sikh community no disrespect intended

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Bollywood actor R Madhavan has clarified that a smoking scene in Aditya Dhar-directed film Dhurandhar 2 was not intended to disrespect the Sikh community. He explained that the cigarette was extinguished before he recited lines from Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Dasam Granth while talking to Ranveer Singh‘s character, and no smoke appears on screen. He reiterated his respect for the community and asked for understanding. R Madhavan clarified a smoking scene in Dhurandhar 2 after members of the Sikh community alleged disrespect shown towards Gurbani. (PTI) R Madhavan clarifies the smoking scene Madhavan took to his Instagram and posted a clarification through a video message. Madhavan said, “Namaskar main hoon R Madhavan. Dhurandhar ke poore parivar ke aur se aap logo ka bohot bohot dhanyawad, aa logo ne hamare film ko itna pyar dikhaya. Hume samajh nahi aa raha hum apne aapko kese prakat karein. Haal hi mein hume pta chala hai ki kuch logo ko iss baat se takleef hui hai ki iss film ke ek scene mein Guru Gobind Singh ji ke dassam …

Members of Sikh community file FIR against Dhurandhar 2 makers for ‘blatant disrespect shown towards Gurbani’

Members of Sikh community file FIR against Dhurandhar 2 makers for ‘blatant disrespect shown towards Gurbani’

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Aditya Dhar-directed Dhurandhar 2, starring Ranveer Singh, has stirred a controversy over a scene that allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community. The sequence shows a character, played by R Madhavan, smoking a cigarette while reciting a sacred verse from the Dasam Granth, authored by Guru Gobind Singh. The film Dhurandhar 2 has sparked outrage after a scene shows R. Madhavan smoking while reciting a sacred Sikh text. FIR filed against Dhurandhar 2 makers An FIR has been filed at Mulund Police Station over the scene, according to a report by Moneycontrol. The complaint was lodged by Gurjyot Singh Keer, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader and president of the organisation ‘Sikhs in Maharashtra’, and cites the involvement of R. Madhavan, Ranveer Singh, and director Aditya Dhar in the allegedly offensive depiction. On Instagram, Gurjyot posted a detailed statement with a video outlining his grievance. His caption read, “I strongly condemn the blatant disrespect shown towards Gurbani by the makers of Dhurandhar 2. Portraying a character @actormaddy talking to @ranveersingh while smoking a cigarette …

Accused Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty in U.S. court over murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Pannun

Accused Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty in U.S. court over murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Pannun

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Nikhil Gupta, accused by U.S. federal prosecutors of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, appears in federal court in New York City in this courtroom sketch. File photo for representative purposes only. | Photo Credit: Reuters Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh separatist in New York City, ​pleaded guilty on Friday (February 13, 2026) to ⁠three criminal charges, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said. Gupta, ‌54, pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and ‌conspiracy to commit money laundering, which ‌carry ⁠a maximum combined sentence ⁠of 40 years in prison, the spokesperson said. He entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge ​Sarah Netburn in ‌Manhattan federal court. Lawyers for Gupta were not immediately available for comment. Gupta has been jailed in Brooklyn since his ‌June 2024 extradition to the United ​States from the Czech Republic, where he had been arrested ⁠a year earlier. He had pleaded not guilty immediately after his extradition. U.S. ‌prosecutors accused Gupta …

World Bank’s Indian-origin chief Ajay Banga is in Pakistan, and it’s personal this time| India News

World Bank’s Indian-origin chief Ajay Banga is in Pakistan, and it’s personal this time| India News

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World Bank president Ajay Banga, a US citizen with Indian origins, on Tuesday visited his ancestral home in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Banga was born in Maharashtra in 1959 but traces his ancestry to this part of pre-1947 undivided India. World Bank President Ajay Banga, in blue turban, with his wife and others during a visit to his ancestral home in Khushab district of Punjab province of Pakistan on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (PTI Photo) He is on a four-day high-level visit to Pakistan, which will conclude on Wednesday, comprised of professional and personal engagements. Walls of his ancestral village were filled with his posters, and locals gathered to watch “a son returning home”. On Monday, Banga, among the most Sikh faces globally, also visited Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, where he offered prayers. This shrine, associated with the first Sikh master Guru Nanak, is among the prominent ones that ended up in Pakistan even as most Sikhs migrated to India during Partition. Banga and his wife were accompanied by Pakistan’s federal …