Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today visited the Golden Temple at 6:05 am with his wife Gursharan Kaur to express gratitude for his successful heart surgery. Clad in white kurta-pajama, black jacket and his signature blue turban, the PM did ‘parikarma’ of the shrine and then entered the sanctum sanctorum amidst the singing of “Jo mange thakur apne se, soi soi deve”. He listened to hymns from Gurbani for half an hour.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and secretary Dalmegh Singh also sat with the PM.

The PM and his wife were honoured with siropas by Jathedar Akal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh.

The unprecedented security cover at the Golden Temple worried the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee authorities, who said the security arrangements were “uncalled for”.

There was heavy presence of policemen, CID staff in plainclothes and NSG commandos on the premises, causing inconvenience to the devotees.

Later, the PM and his wife went to the Golden Temple’s information centre, where they were presented with replica of the Golden Temple and a set of Sikh religious books.

Makkar discussed the issues of security to Sikh Jathas visiting Pakistan on Baisakhi and the attack on gurdwaras in the UK.

“He was receptive to the demands and said that he would do everything possible to press upon the Pak and the UK governments to ensure safety of Sikh shrines and devotees,” claimed Makkar.

The PM also praised the initiative of Nanhi Chhan, an awareness campaign to protect the girl child, and asked the SGPC to take steps for countering the rising drugs menace among Sikh youths.

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