Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has strongly condemned the recent action taken by the Nanded Police in Maharashtra to seize a large quantity of traditional Sikh weapons. In an official statement issued from Chandigarh and Amritsar, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami asserted that the local police executed the operation without due regard for sacred Sikh religious traditions, a move that has sparked widespread resentment and deep hurt among members of the global Sikh community.
While acknowledging that every citizen is fundamentally bound to follow the constitutional law of the land, the SGPC President emphasized that law enforcement agencies must simultaneously respect the religious sentiments, code of conduct, and deep-rooted historical traditions of the Sikh faith. The apex gurdwara body argued that traditional weapons hold a profound spiritual and historical significance within the faith, making a generalized police crackdown culturally insensitive.
The controversy stems from a massive search operation conducted by the Nanded police earlier this month on May 6, within the operational jurisdictions of the Vazirabad and Itwara police stations. During the targeted raids, police personnel recovered and confiscated 4,796 sharp-edged items, including traditional swords and daggers.
Local police officials defended the operation, stating that while they recognize these items are largely intended for ceremonial purposes within the community, the sheer volume represented an excessive over-stocking of weapons. Nanded Superintendent of Police Abinash Kumar informed the media that the extensive raids were initiated after a routine vehicle-checking drive led to the apprehension of an individual carrying an unauthorized weapon, which subsequently guided investigators to the larger stockpiles across multiple urban locations lacking adequate safety measures or official audit mechanisms.
