New Delhi:

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that it remains in touch with the Qatar government following reports of Guru Granth Sahib being seized by the local authorities.

“We have seen reports regarding the Guru Granth Sahib seized by the Qatari authorities and the demand of their release by the Sikh community. Government has already taken up the matter with the Qatar side and our Embassy has kept the Sikh community in Doha abreast of developments in this regard,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in response to media queries regarding the issue.

“It is important to note that two swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib were taken by Qatar authorities from two individuals/groups who were charged for running a religious establishment without the approval of the Government of Qatar. Our Embassy rendered all possible assistance within the ambit of local laws and regulations,” he added.

The MEA statement mentioned further that one ‘swaroop’ of the holy book was returned by Qatari authorities and it was assured that the other is also kept “with respect”.

“We continue to follow up the matter with Qatar authorities with high priority and hope for early resolution,” said Jaiswal.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the former Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing and the current MP from Bathinda, stated on Friday that she has written to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, requesting to take up the issue of the release of two ‘swaroops’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib from police custody in Qatar.

“Informed him that the Sikh ‘sangat’ of Qatar was in shock and anguished that the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, which is regarded as the living Guru by the community, had been made a case property. While appealing to him to intervene in the matter urgently, also requested the minister to take up the issue of allowing Sikhs of Qatar to establish their own Gurdwaras so they could practice their religion freely,” Ms Badal posted on X.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

A 19-year-old man was beaten to death after he allegedly tore some pages of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, at a gurdwara in Punjab’s Ferozepur on Saturday.

Bakshish Singh committed the alleged sacrilege at Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh in Bandala village, after which an angry crowd caught and thrashed him, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhwinder Singh said.

A police case has been filed against the man for the alleged sacrilege.

He was mentally challenged and had been on medication for two years, claimed his father Lakhwinder Singh, calling on the police to register a case against those who killed his son.

The locals say Bakshish had never visited the gurdwara before.

He reportedly tried to run away after committing the sacrilege and was caught by locals. As the news of the alleged incident spread, villagers gathered at the gurdwara and beat him.

A video from the site showed a group of men surrounding Bakshish as he sat bleeding with his hands tied. The police later took him to a private hospital, but he had died by then.

The situation is now under control, said DSP Singh.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said the law was not successful in stopping sacrilege incidents and Bakshish’s death was a reaction to the failure to punish the culprits.

The Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, also called on the Sikh community not to allow his last rites at any gurdwara and socially and religiously boycott his family. He said people are forced to seek justice on their own when the rule of law “fails miserably in performing its duty”.