Man assaults 'granthis' in Gurdwara, desecrates 'Guru Granth Sahib'

An incident of sacrilege has been reported at a Gurdwara in Punjab's Morinda where a man attacked 'granthis' (priests) and desecrated the 'Guru Granth Sahib'. The clip of the incident has now gone viral on social media sites, garnering strong reactions.

In the video, the Sikh man assaults 'granthis' and tries to throw away the 'Guru Granth Sahib'. The incident occurred at Gurdwara Sri Kotwali Sahib in Morinda. However, the people at the place reportedly beat him up and handed him over to authorities.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has condemned the incident and warned that the act of blasphemy will be "severely punished."

"The incident that happened at Gurdwara Sri Kotwali Sahib of Morinda is highly condemnable and no one will be spared for this incident. Anyone who commits the act of blasphemy will be severely punished... For us the honor of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the first..., [sic]" he tweeted.

SP Navneet Singh Mahal said that the person has been detained and the cops are verifying his identity. "A person committed 'beadbi' (sacrilege) and attacked 'Granthis' who were doing kirtan at a Gurudwara in Morinda, Rupnagar district. He has been detained. Further action is underway. Efforts underway to verify his identity," SP Navneet Singh Mahal tweeted.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa expressed his "pain" over the incident and slammed the Punjab government for the "lawlessness."

"Deeply pained to see this video from Gurdwara Sahib in Morinda where the sacrilege incident happened. The current @AAPPunjab Govt has encouraged lawlessness & such incidents with its lax attitude. Their promise of justice in Behbal Kalan incident was also a lie. We need stronger laws and action on sacrilege so that the anti-social elements shouldn't dare to hurt the religious feelings of people," he wrote on Twitter.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh condemned the incident and demanded the "strictest punishment possible" for the perpetrator.

"The beadbi incident at Gurdwara Sri Kotwali Sahib in Morinda is highly condemnable. I urge Punjab Police to immediately arrest the perpetrator of this heinous crime and award the strictest punishment possible," he tweeted.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, in a statement, condemned the incident and said, " "This person should not be spared under any circumstances and the police administration should set an example by taking strict action. The matter should be seriously investigated so that the forces behind this incident can be brought to light. If the government and the police try to cover up, then this will not be good."