Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: Famous Punjabi singer Gurdas Mann cancelled his show in Kolkata in protest against a

replica of the Golden Temple put up in a Durga puja pandal in Bhowanipure area of South Kolkata. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has asked the administration of the Kolkata-based Gurdwara Bara Sikh Sangat to look into the matter.

It is learnt that Mann cancelled performance when he was on the way to Kolkata as someone on the plane told him about the issue and showed him photos of the model in the pandal where he was to perform. He immediately changed his mind and cancelled the show and on landing at the Kolkata airport, instructed his

office to book return tickets.

Mann said the organisers had kept the model of the Golden Temple inside the pandal where people were entering without removing their shoes or covering their heads.

Expressing his strong displeasure, he said it was disrespect of Sikh tenets and sacrilegious on part of the people who had put up the model."Copying and erecting the replica of Golden Temple has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community,” Mann said.

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Seeking clarification from the organisers regarding the incident, he said he respects all religions but won’t tolerate any act which violates Sikh maryada.

A group of Punjabis were standing outside the Kolkata airport to protest against Gurdas Mann if he performed but he did not come out of the airport as he had already cancelled the event.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said that the holiest of Sikh shrines can’t be replicated in any manner. The people must respect the feelings and traditions of other religions, he added.

Recently, Maan had faced criticism from Punjabis and Punjabi diaspora following his interview on a Canada-based Punjabi radio in which he appeared to be supporting the 'one nation, one language' idea.