Protesters Rush B.C. Sikh Temple

[Archived_Member16]

Protesters rush B.C. Sikh temple

Fri Jun 19, 12:56 AM

Hundreds of people crowded an Abbotsford, B.C., temple Thursday evening to protest a performance by a controversial high priest.

Baba Mann Singh Pehowa, a priest who has faced allegations of rape in India, was supposed to sing at the Kalghidar Sikh temple, but he never made it to the microphone.

An estimated 500 protesters rushed the temple.

Police officers were on scene working to control the crowd.

Pehowa waited inside the temple, and was eventually given a police escort out of Abbotsford.

In addition to being accused of rape in India, it is also alleged he has committed blasphemous acts in the Sikh religion, such as having people bow down to him.

Pehowa has faced similar protests during visits to Australia and the United States

 

[spnadmin]

Soul_Jyot ji

How did he get invited in the first place? If he is one who has followers bow down to him (and there is also other negative information) then who invited him without knowing this information. There had to be a reason why he was considered someone to visit, someone with something special to say. That makes it strange that this would not have been known ahead of time. If the management committee knew and still invited him -- then it seems the gurdwara has some groups within that are not communicating very well. If the management committee knew and investigated to find out that the allegations were untrue, then having protesters storm the gurdwara tells a different story about internal politics. This stories always make me very uneasy and very unhappy for the sangat.

 

[Harpreet_Singh_]

I recently saw him at a local Gurdawara. No protesting here. Lots of reverence and respect. He was invited last year around the time of Vaisakhi, when the allegations were in the papers.
I'm not sure why he gets invited even with these sorts of allegations. He definetely has a lot of people turn up when he is there.

 

[Archived_Member16]

Abbotsford News
Hundreds of protesters at Sikh temple

By Joe Millican - Abbotsford News

Published: June 18, 2009 11:00 PM
Updated: June 19, 2009 4:14 PM

Chanting and waving placards, approximately 300 protesters got what they wanted Thursday night as they stopped a controversial figure from speaking at the Sikh temple on Blueridge Drive.

Maan Singh Pehowa has faced allegations of crimes in India, and protesters turned out in force to prevent him from addressing the public at the Kalgidhar Khalsa Darbar Temple.

Vehicles attempting to get through on Blueridge could barely move as they attempted to negotiate crowds of people who had spilled onto the street.

Pehowa, a high priest in India, arrived at the temple as part of a convoy at 7:45 p.m.

He was already in the building by the time hundreds of angry protesters rushed through the doors, chanting his name and demanding he leave.

It has been suggested some of the protesters came from other communities.
Pehowa did not make an appearance.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., the gathering was told that Pehowa would vacate the temple. The crowd was then asked to leave the building peacefully, or risk arrest from the team of 12 assembled Abbotsford Police officers.

At approximately 9:30 p.m., with many protesters still waiting for him outside, Pehowa was ushered out of the opposite side of the building by his entourage and into a waiting SUV.

Dogged by rape allegations for the past five years, controversy and protests have followed Pehowa during his attempts to speak in cities in North America and other parts of the world.

Protester Bachitter Singh joined others in questioning why the hierarchy at the Abbotsford temple – who have refused to comment on the incident – agreed to allow Pehowa to speak.

“The committee and the president, they should know everything. Why did they invite him here?” he asked.

“It is wasting the time of the police and wasting the time of everybody.”

Manjit Virk, a spokesman for Pehowa, said he came in peace and did not want any trouble.

That is why Pehowa decided not to speak publicly in Abbotsford, after he saw the reception which greeted him, Virk said.

The charges against Pehowa have never been proven and he is an innocent man, maintained Virk.

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BCLocalNews.com - Hundreds of protesters at Sikh temple