The Akal Takht Secretariat has summoned 15 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and constituency in-charges to appear on October 15 and submit explanations regarding statements made to the media by Payal MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura, who alleged caste-based discrimination after being denied entry to the secretariat on Monday.The development came after an AAP delegation visited the Akal Takht Secretariat to submit a memorandum seeking action against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the entry of Delhi Police personnel into Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi on October 10.The delegation alleged that the police personnel had entered the gurdwara wearing shoes and without covering their heads. It demanded that the Jathedar summon Shah and fix responsibility for the incident.The delegation, led by Inderbir Singh Nijjar, met Secretariat in-charge Bagicha Singh in the afternoon and described the incident as a violation of the sanctity of Sikh religious institutions.The AAP leaders also recalled the painful memories of Operation Bluestar and questioned the silence of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami over the incident.However, the visit took an unexpected turn when MLA Giaspura was stopped from entering the Akal Takht Secretariat.He alleged that the staff had denied him entry on the directions of Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj because he belonged to the Dalit community. He accused the secretariat staff of caste-based discrimination.Akal Takht media adviser Jaskaran Singh rejected the allegation, saying that Giaspura had been denied entry on the Jathedar’s directions because of his past objectionable, abusive and threatening statements against Sikh institutions and the Jathedar.Jaskaran Singh said the principle of open access to Darbar Sahib, irrespective of caste, was also followed at the Akal Takht Secretariat.He pointed out that Baba Bakala MLA Dalbir Singh and Mehal Kalan MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori, who belong to the same community as Giaspura, were part of the delegation and had not been stopped from entering the premises.He also accused Giaspura of making objectionable remarks about Darbar Sahib and the Akal Takht Secretariat, adding that strict action could be taken against him. He urged the MLA to apologise to the Sikh community for making false and misleading statements.Later in the evening, Secretariat in-charge Bagicha Singh, acting on the directions of Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, issued summons to 15 AAP MLAs and constituency in-charges, asking them to appear in person at the secretariat at noon on October 15.According to the communication issued by the secretariat, the AAP delegation had been asked to clarify to the media that no caste-based discrimination had taken place at the secretariat.It alleged that although the delegation had agreed to issue such a clarification, its members did not do so after leaving the premises.The summons stated that the MLAs and constituency in-charges were required to appear in person and submit their explanations regarding the matter.Those summoned include MLAs Gurdeep Singh Randhawa (Dera Baba Nanak), Baljinder Kaur (Talwandi Sabo), Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Ajnala), Sarwan Singh Dhun (Khem Karan), Jeevanjot Kaur (Amritsar East), Manjinder Singh (Khadoor Sahib), Kulwant Singh (Mehal Kalan), Inderbir Singh Nijjar (Amritsar South), Dalbir Singh (Baba Bakala), Harmeet Singh (Tarn Taran), Jasvir Singh (Urmur) and Karamvir Singh (Dasuya), along with constituency in-charges Sonia Mann (Rajasansi), Gur Iqbal Singh (Qadian) and Joban Singh (Fatehgarh Churian).