An 18th century Sikh temple at Naulakha Bazaar in Lahore has been taken over by a Muslim group, which has replaced the gurdwara's religious symbols with Islamic slogans, a Pakistani daily reported Tuesday.
"They have taken over our temple, claiming it as their own. They have stopped us from entering the premises for the past two months," the Daily Times quoted Dr Mampal Singh, a representative of the Sikh community, as saying.
He also claimed that the Evacuee Trust Property Board -- which controls the Bhai Taro Singh Jee gurdwara -- was supporting the intruders on their claim and not taking any action against them.
"We have written to ETPB on July 8 for the restoration of the temple to us and the officials told us they would act on the application within a month. But they haven't done anything yet and the intruders are tightening their grip on our worship place," Dr Singh said.
However, ETPB Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Zulfiqar Ali Khan said that the ownership of the temple had not changed hands and refuted the Sikhs claim of intruders being in control of the gurdwara by saying it's "totally wrong".
"ETPB is in charge of the temple and Muslims go there to pray for the saint, while Sikhs go there for their worship," he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the intruders told the daily that they had decided not to vacate the temple and said that the entry of Sikhs was prohibited and that ETPB had locked the doors. "The doors are locked throughout the week and are opened only on Thursdays when we pray," they said.