Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday, 2 July strongly condemned the demolition of the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan, calling it an erasure of shared human heritage and urging the international community to press Islamabad for its restoration.

Sirsa's Condemnation

“I strongly condemn this act. Gurdwara Sahib is not just a shared heritage of Sikhs but of all humanity. Encroaching on gurdwaras in Pakistan, trespassing on their properties, and damaging such heritage in this manner is a grave sin. The world must take notice of this and urge the Government of Pakistan to restore Gurdwara Sahib,” Sirsa said in a message posted on social media.

The demolished structure, known as Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, had stood for over a century in Farooqabad and is considered a site of deep religious and historical significance for the Sikh community.

Delhi BJP Joins the Chorus

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Harsh Malhotra also condemned the demolition, and pointedly questioned the silence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Mann, more than a week after the incident.

Malhotra described the demolition as part of a broader, recurring pattern. “Attacks on Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and their places of worship have unfortunately become a recurring occurrence in Pakistan,” he said, adding that Pakistan “continues to remain a haven for terrorism.”

He also alleged that Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has himself been accused of violating Sikh religious traditions and that the Sri Akal Takht Sahib has declared him ‘anti-Panthic’ — making the AAP’s silence on the Farooqabad demolition, he argued, all the more telling.

UNESCO Norms and India's Response

Delhi BJP legislator and chairman of the Trans-Yamuna Area Development Board, Sardar Arvinder Singh Lovely, joined the condemnation and raised the dimension of international heritage law. He noted that under UNESCO guidelines, every country bears primary responsibility for protecting religious sites over 100 years old, and that any alteration to the original structure of such sites constitutes a violation of those norms.

Lovely also appreciated the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for acting swiftly, saying it “immediately conveyed a strong message to the Pakistani government and called for the reconstruction of the demolished Gurdwara.”

A Recurring Pattern, Critics Say

Both Malhotra and Lovely underscored that this is not an isolated event. Minority religious sites — belonging to Sikhs, Hindus, and Christians — have reportedly faced encroachment, damage, and demolition in Pakistan on multiple previous occasions. Critics argue that the Pakistani state has consistently failed to protect its minority communities from extremist elements, even as it projects itself internationally as a guardian of minority rights.

This comes amid broader diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, with the Farooqabad demolition adding fresh pressure on Islamabad to demonstrate accountability for the protection of minority heritage. The incident is expected to draw further attention in Indian parliamentary and diplomatic circles in the days ahead.