Pro-Khalistan slogans raised as US envoy Sergio Gor visits Amritsar's Golden Temple
The delegation comprises prominent US Senators, senior government officials, and foreign policy scholars. | India News
The delegation comprises prominent US Senators, senior government officials, and foreign policy scholars.
The United States Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, on Monday arrived in the holy city to pay obeisance at Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) as part of a high-level 28-member American delegation.
The delegation comprises prominent US Senators, senior government officials, and foreign policy scholars.
The day-long outreach program reflects Washington’s interest in strengthening ties beyond New Delhi, particularly with Punjab, which shares strong cultural and diaspora linkages with North America, according to the reports.
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During the visit to the holiest Sikh shrine, top Sikh religious bodies welcomed the envoy. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami, alongside senior SGPC officials, welcomed Ambassador Gor and diplomatic delegation according to Sikh traditions. Dhami and Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj will hold a meeting with him.
Following their visit to the Golden Temple complex, the delegation's itinerary includes visits to the nearby historical site of Jallianwala Bagh and the Partition Museum housed at the historic Town Hall.
‘Khalistan Zindabad’ slogans raised
Amid the diplomatic engagement, a brief demonstration occurred outside the shrine's entrance. Acting President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)Emaan Singh Mann, along with party workers, gathered outside the shrine's main entrance and briefly raised slogans of "Khalistan Zindabad" and "God Bless America" before security personnel managed the crowd.
Diplomatic visits to Amritsar by top foreign dignitaries carry cultural weight, serving as symbolic engagements with India’s diaspora-heavy regions. Local authorities and police had instituted heightened security protocols and traffic diversions across the city to facilitate the delegation's movement across historic landmarks.
Surjit Singh is a correspondent. He covers politics and agriculture, besides religious affairs and Indo-Pak border in Amritsar and Tarn Taran.
