Guru Granth Sahib Sacrilege: Updates from Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Surrey-Delta

Surrey, BC, Canada—Sikh24 has learned new details emerging in the case of the takht attack at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara (Surrey-Delta). A man was apprehended and held by sangat after attempting to attack Guru Granth Sahib at 2 PM this past Sunday.

Details are sketchy as to what the man’s motives were, but the RCMP are now investigating. It remains unknown if in fact he has any mental health illness or not, as has been rumoured. Although it does not appear that the man has any mental health issue since it seems that he had an accomplice.

The man that attempted, and succeeded to a degree, to do beadbi of Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee, had been to the Gurdwara before on at least two occasions. The first was Saturday evening, the night before the attack. He went into the kitchen to do Seva and was staring at a female Sevadaar, who asked him why he was staring at her. He said he was scared of Guru Sahib. At this point he started doing some Seva in the kitchen—apparently trying to re-fry food that was already fried.

The day of the attack, on Sunday morning, he returned to the Gurdwara at 5 AM and made obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib Jee. He stood behind the Takht and the Bibi that was doing Chaur Seva asked him if he wanted to do Chaur Seva to which he said yes.

The Sevadaar gave him the Chaur Sahib, but right when he got the Chaur, he reportedly said “sorry my hands are not clean I can’t do this Seva.” The Chaur Sahib was subsequently cleaned.  We were told that he did parkarma very slowly and took his time and observed the Takht area. Some of these events were captured on security cameras.

The same man then came back during the day and interfered in the special 1984 remembrance programs there were going on.  Apparently, a speech was being made by Gian Singh Sandhu of World Sikh Organization when this man went up to him in front of the sangat and interrupted his speech. Various Singhs took him aside and told him that if he has any questions for the speaker, he can talk to him after, but requested that he not disturb the program.

When asked what his problem was, he was reported to have said, “you guys are all lying, this never happened” (referring to June 1984). They told him that after the Divaan is finished you can speak to whoever you want and ask questions. At that point they asked him if he wanted to go back into the Darbar or go downstairs (to the langar hall area). He replied that he wants to go into the Darbar.

After the conversation, he and the Singhs came back into the Darbar and they told him to sit down. A witness stated that during the speech on 1984, the man started breathing heavily as if he couldn’t handle what was being said. A few minutes later, he got up and left the Darbar Sahib.

Sikh24 learned that in midst of all this, he approached an unknown man in a white kurta pajama, red dastar and a cut beard, who he shook hands with and exchanged a few words. It is not known what was said during this conversation. At this point, the man that attacked the Takht went downstairs to the Langar Hall area and the man in the kurta pajama and red dastar came into the Darbar and sat down. In the CCTV recordings during the attack, the entire Sangat can be seen getting up and yelling or taking some sort of action but this man in the red dastar can be seen sitting in the same spot, not moving.

After the meeting with the man in the red dastar outside the Darbar Hall, the man that attacked the Takht, in what appears to be a boast of ego, pumps up his collar and walks away. A few minutes later, he walks into the Darbar and goes towards the left side, near the Degh Sevadaar, and does not Matha Tek.

Sangat assumed he was getting Degh, however he walked past the Degh Sevadaar and behind the Takht. At this point he pushes the Singh doing Chaur Seva and attempts to do beadbi of Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj by pulling the Manji Sahib. The Saroop moves about 10-12 inches and almost falls but the Granthi Singh was able to stop it from falling.

Right when the Chaur Sevadaar was pushed, Singhs around the Takht area became aware and got up to defend Guru Sahib. One of the bigger Singhs put the attacker in a bear hug and he was taken downstairs through the back entrance where the police were called and he was handed over to the police. Please note that as soon as he was taken outside, he began swearing at the Singhs around him and told them that he was an RSS agent and that he would be back and threatened to tear apart Guru Sahib’s Saroop ang by ang.

Sikh24 has also learned about a sacrilegious event at a Gurdwara Sahib in Turlock, California, USA that happened this past week.  More details about that incident will be shared as they become available.