RSS condemns Golden Temple ‘sacrilege’ incident, demands action

New Delhi, Dec 19: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Sunday condemned at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, calling it an unfortunate incident.

In a statement, the RSS said "The incident of contempt of Shri Guru Granth Sahib that took place on December 18 in Golden Temple Amritsar is unfortunate. RSS gravely condemns it. Guru Granth Sahib and Sri Guru Parampara are revered by all of us and are the repository of India's wealth of knowledge. There are forces that are conspiring to create disharmony in the society. Strict action should be taken against conspirators by exposing them, and the society should not let such incidents to disturb communal harmony."

A man hailing from Uttar Pradesh was beaten to death after he allegedly attempted to commit "sacrilege" inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in the evening of Saturday.

The incident drew sharp reactions from political leaders, with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi ordering a probe into it. The incident took place when the man jumped golden grills inside the sanctum sanctorum, picked a sword and reached near the place where a Sikh priest was reciting the holy Guru Granth Sahib.

The man was caught by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force members. When he was being taken to the SGPC office, an angry crowd thrashed him, that led to his death.