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Amid growing media speculation, the Indian Army has officially denied deploying air defence guns or any military equipment within the premises of the Golden Temple during Operation Sindoor. The clarification follows a wave of reports suggesting the shrine’s management had granted permission for the deployment to guard against potential aerial threats from Pakistan. However, both the military and religious authorities have categorically rejected these claims.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Army confirmed that no air defence (AD) resources were positioned inside the Golden Temple, formally known as Sri Darbar Sahib in Amritsar. “It is clarified that no AD guns or any other AD resource was deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar,” the Army stated, dismissing the allegations as baseless.

Backing this position, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex Sikh religious body, also confirmed that no such permission was ever granted. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami explained that their only communication with the district administration pertained to a city-wide blackout during recent escalations in Indo-Pak tensions. The management cooperated fully by switching off exterior and upper-level lights while ensuring the sanctity of religious observances.

Additional clarifications came from senior religious figures. Head Granthi Giani Raghbir Singh, despite being abroad during Operation Sindoor, confirmed there was no discussion or incident involving military deployment. Giani Amarjeet Singh, an additional head priest at the Golden Temple, firmly denied any collaboration with the Army to place guns on the shrine premises. He labelled the reports as “shockingly untrue” and stressed that religious practices and codes of conduct were maintained uninterrupted throughout the tense period.

The SGPC also reiterated that daily rituals, including the sacred Langar service and prayers at Sri Akhand Path Sahib, were observed without disruption or interference. Lights remained on in areas where religious protocols were being upheld, even as the outer lights were dimmed in accordance with the blackout orders.

Mr. Dhami concluded by acknowledging the Army’s efforts during the sensitive time but warned against the circulation of false narratives. He emphasized that had such an incident taken place, the thousands of devotees present at the temple would have witnessed and reported it. He has now called upon the government to provide formal clarification to prevent any further misinformation about one of Sikhism’s most sacred sites.