Sikhs protest auction of Guru Gobind Singh's armour

Amritsar, April 2, : Agitated over the scheduled auction of the steel armour belonging to the Sikhs' 10th Guru, Gobind Singh, a local body of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) staged a protest against the auction house and the British government here on Tuesday.

Organised outside Amritsar's Hall Bazar, the protest was a part of a series of agitations organized by Sikhs against the auction house Sobabeej Arts of Islamic World Sale.

Activists sought the Government of India's intervention in the auction until Sikh experts verify the armour's authenticity.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), has already appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the matter.

"We want our guru's relic here at any cost," the protestors said.

Gurpreet Singh General Secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal's Amritsar body said the government and Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee should act fast on the matter.

The auction is expected to take place on April 9.

Sotheby's auction catalogue describes the steel plate as "a rare Sikh steel armour of rectangular form, decorated with gold overlay with a central panel of calligraphy".

The steel armour has verses on its front from the writings of Guru Gobind Singh. The breast-plate measures 29cm x 21cm.

ANI