US Ambassador Sergio Gor Visited Amritsar Golden Temple

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Monday, where he paid his respects at the Sikh shrine. Authorities made extensive security arrangements in and around the complex ahead of the visit. Gor has been travelling across different parts of India as part of his diplomatic responsibilities. His recent visits included Srinagar and Leh.

The Ambassador’s Amritsar visit also drew attention from Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), with its Acting President Emaan Singh Mann indicating that he intended to discuss a range of Punjab-related and Sikh community issues with the US envoy. Mann described the visit as important for the Sikh community and said he planned to raise matters concerning Punjab, Sikh rights and India-Pakistan relations.

Mann pointed to the security concerns faced by Punjab’s border districts, particularly Amritsar, amid tensions between India and Pakistan. He referred to Operation Sindoor and the Indus Waters Treaty while calling for dialogue and renewed cooperation between the two countries on water-related matters.

According to Mann, his party has submitted a seven-point list of demands. These include continued US diplomatic efforts to help prevent further India-Pakistan tensions, restoring cooperation under the Indus Waters Treaty, examining the possibility of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, and facilitating legal movement of people, trade and pilgrimage across the India-Pakistan border. He argued that greater cross-border connectivity could support Punjab’s economy and create opportunities for trade with Central Asian markets. Mann also highlighted concerns over the smuggling of drugs and weapons across the border.

Other issues he said he wanted to raise included elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), religious freedom and the case involving Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Mann also spoke about what he described as the Sikh community’s right to self-determination and said his party had asked Washington to support an inquiry into matters related to Sikh rights. Security was tightened significantly around the Golden Temple before Gor’s arrival. Amritsar DCP Law and Order RPS Sandhu said police had made arrangements to deal with any possible security situation.

Sandhu said around 150 personnel, including officers in uniform and plain clothes, were deployed both inside and outside the shrine complex. He also said security teams were monitoring the area and that arrangements had been made to prevent any untoward incident during the Ambassador’s visit.