SGPC chief condemns stopping of Sikh youth wearing kirpan from entering Delhi Metro station

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Friday said that the incident of allegedly stopping an Amritdhari Sikh youth from entering a metro station in Delhi with his kirpan is in violation of the Constitution of the country. Seeking strict action into the matter during a press conference on Friday, he added that there are frequent incidents of hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs but unfortunately the governments are not taking exemplary action against the accused.

“The Indian constitution grants religious freedom to every citizen. But even then questions are being raised on the religious symbols of the Sikh faith,” he said. He added that in the recent past, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had issued a notification barring the Amritdhari Sikh employees of airports from entering the domestic and international terminals with their kirpan but it was later withdrawn by the ministry after SGPC’s opposition.