The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has filed a police complaint against a woman who was performing yoga on the premises of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The SGPC has also dismissed three of its officials for dereliction of duty and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each.
The woman, Archana Makwana, is a yoga practitioner. She visited Delhi to receive the award on June 21, International Yoga Day, and also performed asanas on the grounds of the Golden Temple.
Makwana later posted the picture on Instagram, drawing the wrath of the Gurdwara Committee, which filed a case against the woman for hurting the sentiments and dignity of Sikhs.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the woman performed yoga and left the Golden Temple without offering prayers.
Dhami said some people deliberately ignore the sanctity and historical importance of the holy site and commit heinous acts, adding that people should not commit acts for which they would later have to apologize.
As the controversy continued, Makwana removed the photos and videos from his Instagram account. In an Instagram story on Saturday, Makwana apologised for his actions and said he had no intention of hurting anyone’s religious feelings.
“I was not aware that performing yoga on the Gurdwara Sahib premises could cause offence to some people. I was just paying my respects to him and had no intention of hurting anyone,” Makwana said.
“I sincerely apologize for any hurt I may have caused and promise to be more careful in the future. Please accept my sincere apology,” she further stated.
In another Instagram story, Makwana said she was receiving death threats over the phone despite having publicly apologised.
