New Delhi: India on Wednesday (July 1) strongly condemned the reported demolition of the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Pakistan’s Punjab province, calling it a “targeted act of vandalism” and urging Islamabad to investigate the incident, prosecute those responsible and restore the shrine at the earliest.Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was “deeply distressed” by reports that the historic Sikh place of worship in Farooqabad had been demolished.“We strongly condemn this highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine,” Jaiswal said. “Its destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board, is a matter of grave concern.”He added that the incident was “unfortunately not an isolated” one, alleging that “the systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan continues unabated”.India called on the Pakistani government to “expeditiously investigate” the incident, bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that the demolished portions of the gurdwara are “restored and reconstructed at the earliest”. It also urged Islamabad to fulfil its obligations to protect minority communities and their places of worship and “put a decisive end to the prevailing environment of sectarian violence and religious intolerance in Pakistan”.The reaction came days after reports emerged that portions of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib, located near the historic Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad, also known as Mandi Chuharkana, in Pakistan’s Sheikhupura district had been demolished during the night of June 24-25. Sikh groups alleged that unidentified persons razed parts of the century-old structure, prompting protests and demands for action.According to the Times of India, minister for minority affairs in the Pakistani Punjab, Ramesh Singh Arora, has since acknowledged that part of the gurdwara was demolished and said it would be reconstructed and restored. Reports, however, have differed on the circumstances surrounding the demolition, with investigations continuing.The latest exchange also comes less than two weeks after New Delhi rejected comments by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari over the proposed demolition of the Ganj Shahida mosque in Varanasi. At the time, Jaiswal said Zardari had “no locus standi” to comment on India’s internal affairs and accused Pakistan of having a long record of persecution of minorities and attacks on places of worship.