India, Sept. 19 -- The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) decision to discipline its staff, including sacking a granthi, for offering a siropa (robe of honour) to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a gurdwara in Ramdas on September 15 has reignited a long-standing debate over the intersection of politics and Sikh religious practices.

The SGPC on Wednesday suspended a preacher and an attendant, dismissed a granthi from service and issued a warning and transferred the manager for violating "maryada" (religious code of conduct) for presenting a siropa at Gurdwara Smadh Baba Budha Sahib in Ramdas to Rahul.

While the SGPC maintains the action was taken due to a violation of the "maryada" and defiance of a recent resolution barring V...