By: Soham Shah
October 5 2023
No, the Golden Temple did not release a notice condemning pro-Khalistani outfit
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Fake notice shared by Simi Garewal on X. (Source:X/Modified by Logically Facts)
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee— the apex governing body of all Sikh gurdwaras in India and abroad— confirmed that the notice is fake.
Claim ID 3017fba6
What is the claim?
A post was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by former Indian actor and talk show host Simi Garewal on September 28, with a purported notice from the Sri Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple attached as a photo.
The letter said, “We condemn any form of terrorism by Babbar Khalsa International and other organizations using Sikh religion to defame India.” It also adds that all international gurudwaras must stop supporting the “Anti-Indian movement.” Babbar Khalsa is a pro-Khalistani organization banned in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and has been described by The Indian Express as “the oldest and most organized Sikh militant outfit since India's Independence.”
This same photo was also shared by another X user on October 2. Archive links of the posts can be accessed here and here.
Posts shared on X. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)
This post comes in the background of the ongoing India-Canada diplomatic rift. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament that the government was "actively pursuing credible allegations" linking Indian government agents to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, a Khalistani leader, was designated a terrorist by India in 2020. This led to escalations in diplomatic tensions with both countries expelling top diplomats.
However, we found that the notice is fake.
What is the truth?
We found that the notice had not been posted on the official X, Facebook accounts, or website of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex governing body of all Sikh gurdwaras in India and abroad. The body also manages the Sri Harmandir Sahib in Punjab’s Amritsar.
Logically Facts reached out to Partap Singh, Secretary of the SGPC, who confirmed that the notice was not genuine. He said, “We have not released this notice. We are trying to find from where and how this notice originatedm, and will take action accordingly.”
On September 25, SGPC posted details on X about a meeting on the India-Canada diplomatic controversy which said, “The statement of the Prime Minister is not considered normal in the parliament of any country,” and, “The hate propaganda being spread against Sikhs and Punjab was also strongly condemned.”
The verdict
The notice was not posted on SGPC channels and their secretary confirmed that the notice is fake.