Was the Holiest Sikh Shrine, the Golden Temple, Saved from Pakistani Missiles?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The Indian Army successfully defended the Golden Temple against missile and drone attacks during Operation Sindoor.
- Advanced air defense systems, including the Akash missile system, played a crucial role.
- Major General Kartik C Seshadri confirmed the interception of all threats.
- The operation highlights ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
- Political leaders condemned the attacks as an assault on India's unity and heritage.
Amritsar, May 19 (NationPress) On Monday, the Indian Army demonstrated how the nation’s air defense systems, notably the Akash missile system, successfully protected the holiest shrine of Sikhism, the Golden Temple, along with various cities in Punjab, from missile and drone assaults by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
The Army presented debris from intercepted missiles and drones. Major General Kartik C Seshadri, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 15th Infantry Division, revealed that Pakistan attempted to strike the Golden Temple in Amritsar using drones and missiles during the night of May 7-8, in retaliation for India’s attacks on nine terrorist locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
He stated that Pakistan lacked legitimate military targets and was likely to target civilian and religious sites in India. “We were well-prepared as we had foreseen this, and our courageous army air defense gunners successfully thwarted the malicious designs of the Pakistan Army, intercepting all drones and missiles aimed at the Golden Temple,” the officer remarked.
Amit Malviya, from the BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, expressed on X, “The Indian Army’s revelation of drone and missile threats aimed at the Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) is profoundly shocking and alarming.” He emphasized that it reveals the true intentions of Pakistan’s military and its affiliates -- to create disorder and attack the essence of India.
“No genuine Sikh, whose faith and identity are founded on justice, sacrifice, and national pride, would ever support a state like Pakistan, which has repeatedly shown itself as an adversary of peace, faith, and humanity. Targeting the holiest Sikh shrine showcases the moral and strategic decline of Pakistan’s actions,” he added.
“Sikhs globally should recognize this for what it is: an assault not only on a religious site but on the very core of India’s unity and the sanctity of Sikh heritage,” Malviya concluded.