Yoga at Golden Temple: Withdraw FIR or face legal action, influencer Archana Makwana tells SGPC

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, June 27

The Vadodara-based social media influencer, Archana Makwana, who had sparked a row by practicing yoga in the Golden Temple complex on June 21 and later posting its pictures on social media, has fired another salvo.

In her latest message on social media, she has threatened the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to withdraw the FIR or face legal action. She alleged that the complaint against her was baseless and she had endured mental torture and harassment.

“Withdraw the FIR. Otherwise, me and my legal team is ready to fight it out. What was the point of lodging a ‘faltu’ FIR against me? I don’t think I did anything wrong. What about the mental agony I had to pass through. My intent was not wrong,” she said.

SGPC secretary Partap Singh said that her ‘intent’ could well be gauged from the fact that earlier, she was posting ‘apology’ on her social media and now, she is threatening legal action. “We will never withdraw the case against her. She is welcome to take the legal course,” he said.

On the basis of SGPC’s complaint, the Amritsar police have booked her for outraging religious sentiments and served a notice under Section 41-A CrPC to appear by June 30. Otherwise, arrest proceedings could be initiated against her.

She claimed that when she practiced ‘shirsasana’ in the Golden Temple parikrama on June 21, she was not interrupted by anyone.

“Make the CCTV footage public for the truth to come out. There were so many people, including Sikhs, present and no one objected to it. The one who clicked my pictures was also a Sikh. The SGPC’s ‘sewadars’ present on the spot never interrupted me or those who were clicking pictures. I came from Gujarat to Punjab for the first time. How could I know about Sikh religious ethics that they were talking about? If anyone had told me that it was objectionable, I would not have done that,” she said.

Partap Singh said that the matter pertained to religious misconduct and the matter was referred to the administration after objections were received from many devotees over her act of practicing yoga in the Golden Temple complex.

He said that the SGPC has taken prompt action against its staff members too. “She is unnecessarily raising fingers at the SGPC’s arrangement. In a video today, she is claiming that no ‘maryada’-related guidelines have been displayed by the management of the Golden Temple. The fact is that a large screen is installed at the Ghanta Ghar entrance gate which prominently displays dos and don’ts. Two staff members have already been put under suspension and another one was penalised, besides transferring him out of the city,” he said.

Won’t withdraw case

We will never withdraw the case against her. She is welcome to take the legal course. — Partap Singh, SGPC secretary

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