Yoga at Golden Temple: Influencer Archana Makwana wants FIR withdrawn, SGPC asks police to arrest her

The Punjab Police booked Makwana, who hails from Vadodara in Gujarat, on June 22 for hurting religious sentiments after she posted pictures of doing yoga inside the premises of Golen Temple on International Yoga Day (June 21) on her social media accounts. The Gujarat Police gave Makwana security after she alleged that she received threatening calls for performing Yoga at Golden Temple.

“Many Sikhs and sewadars (volunteers who offer help at gurdwara) were present there. Their feelings were not hurt. But someone sitting far away across many seas made my picture go viral and the SGPC launched an FIR against me. There was nothing wrong with my intent. A Sikh clicked that picture. If Sikhs present there were not aware that it was not allowed, then how can I know about it? The SGPC should take the FIR back, or otherwise, I am ready for a legal fight,” she said in the fresh statement, adding that she would never visit a gurdwara again.

Responding to Makwana, the SGPC issued a statement and questioned her motives. “The entire design of Archana Makwana’s behaviour and acts is clear from her social media activities in the last six days. First, she violated maryada (decorum) at Sri Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) by hurting sentiments of the Sikh community after posting objectionable photo/video on her social media…” it said.

After the Amritsar police filed an FIR under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Makwana, she apologised, but even after her apology, she continued to post objectionable content on social media, it alleged.

The SGPC said Makwana was instigating and provoking the people on public platforms to stop visiting Golden Temple and running false propaganda against the SGPC. She seemed to be working under some “nefarious and hateful agenda”, it said.

It further said, “In a video today, she is claiming that no maryada related guidelines have been displayed by the management of Sri Harmandar Sahib, while the fact is that a large screen is installed at the Ghanta Ghar entrance gate from which she took entry. She is claiming that nobody stopped her from making video or clicking photos, while the fact is she was stopped at the entry gate on June 21 by the on-duty sewadar when she was filming her entry on mobile and washing her feet in the Charan Ganga.”

“If she felt guilty, why is she continuing to post objectionable and hateful expressions towards the SGPC, the representative body of Sikhs?” the SGPC asked.

“On June 21, Archana did not even pay obeisance at Sri Harmandar Sahib or any related Gurdwara Sahib inside the complex. Archana visited Sri Harmandar Sahib on June 20 as well, when she paid obeisance and did some Sewa, but that did not give her liberty to come the next day and violate the maryada. On June 20, Archana was provided all possible guidance as sought by the staff of Sri Darbar Sahib, but on June 21, she did not feel it necessary to seek any guidance and did objectionable act inside the complex,” said the SGPC.

“It is worth mentioning that Sri Harmandar Sahib is the central Sikh place open to people from all backgrounds without any discrimination, however, following the conduct of this Sikh place is mandatory for all the visitors and devotees,” added the SGPC.