Amritsar: Pro-Khalistan slogans were allegedly raised during US ambassador Sergio Gor’s visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Monday.
A brief demonstration was reported from outside the shrine’s entrance, with acting president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Emaan Singh Mann, along with party workers, raising slogans of “Khalistan Zindabad” and “God Bless America”. Security personnel reacted accordingly and brought the situation under control, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Gor, reached the holy city on Monday 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.
According to officials, 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 America.
Top Sikh religious bodies welcomed the envoy to the temple. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, alongside senior SGPC officials, welcomed Gor and the diplomatic delegation according to Sikh traditions. Dhami and Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj will hold a meeting with him.
The delegation’s itinerary includes visits to the nearby historical site of Jallianwala Bagh and the Partition Museum housed at the historic Town Hall.
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.