The Indian Army issued a statement on Tuesday denying “media reports” that air defence guns were deployed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar to neutralise aerial threats from Pakistan during Operation Sindoor earlier this month.

“Some media reports have been circulated regarding the deployment of air defence guns in the Golden Temple. It is clarified that NO AD guns or any other AD resources were deployed within the premises of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (The Golden Temple),” the statement said.

The statement came after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), along with Sikh religious leaders, dismissed the claims made by Indian Army Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha on Monday regarding the use of air defence guns at the Golden Temple to thwart Pakistani drones and missiles.

In an interview to news agency ANI on Monday, Lieutenant General D’Cunha said the Golden Temple hierarchy realised there could be a threat when the situation was explained to them and they allowed the army to deploy AD guns for protection.

“The Golden Temple’s lights were switched off so that we could clearly visualise the drones as they were coming in…,” the officer said.

In a statement released by the SGPC on Tuesday, Giani Amarjeet Singh, additional head granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib, said: “The Indian Army officer’s statement about deploying air defence guns at Sri Harmandar Sahib is shockingly untrue.”

The statement said that no such permission was ever granted, nor was any such deployment allowed at the sacred site.

“The management of Sri Harmandar Sahib had cooperated with the district administration’s guidelines regarding the blackout by switching off exterior and upper lights of the complex within the specified time frame. However, lights at locations where religious code of conduct (Maryada) is observed were kept on, and the sanctity of the religious place was maintained with full responsibility,” Giani Amarjeet Singh said.

Giani Amarjeet Singh said the daily religious practices at Sri Darbar Sahib, the langar of Guru Ramdas Ji, places of Sri Akhand Path Sahib, and other related gurdwaras were conducted “according to strict protocols, and no one has the right to interfere with them”.

He also made it clear that no lights were turned off at any religious site where Maryada was being observed, even during the blackout.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the administration contacted them only about switching off the lights during the blackout, and they fully cooperated in the interest of administrative responsibility while maintaining the sanctity of the ongoing Maryada.

“However, there was no communication from any army official regarding the installation of air defence guns at Sri Harmandar Sahib,” Dhami said.

He said only the outer lights were turned off following the district administration’s guidelines, and even during the blackout, large numbers of devotees continued to visit and do Seva (voluntary service) at Sri Harmandar Sahib.

Dhami expressed surprise that “an army officer would propagate such a claim and demanded that the Government of India clarify why such statements are being issued by army officials”.