Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent comments on the Sikh community in India have not only sparked a political uproar in the country but also found endorsement from Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.
During an event in Washington DC, Rahul Gandhi said, “First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about. The fight is not about politics. It is superficial. What is your name? The fight is about whether…he as a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India. Or he as a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear a kada in India. Or a Sikh is going to be able to go to Gurdwara. That’s what the fight is about and not just for him, for all religions.”
Maligning India’s reputation abroad: BJP
His comments have ignited strong opposition from the ruling party terming it as anti-India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on the Congress leader accusing him of trying to create a “dangerous narrative” by speaking on “sensitive issues” abroad.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that Rahul’s remarks were “sinister” in nature as he tried to spread falsehood among the members of the Sikh community living abroad.
“I think this is far more sinister because Rahul Gandhi was trying to spread a false narrative while speaking in front of those, who belong to my community and are trying to eke out a living in the US with hard work and honesty. Because they do not have much connection with the country (India),” the Union minister said.
Union minister and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also slammed Rahul for maligning India’s reputation abroad.
“I want to remind Rahul Gandhi that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the LoP, in a foreign land, he never tried to malign the image of the country…Due to being defeated consecutively for the third time, anti-BJP, anti-RSS and anti-Modi sentiments have taken root in his mind,” Chouhan said.
BJP leader R P Singh challenged Rahul to make the same statements in India. Reminding him about the 1984 Sikh riots, Singh threatened to drag the Congress leader to the courts for his remarks.
“About 3000 Sikhs were massacred in Delhi; their turbans were taken off, their hair was chopped off and beard was shaved…He (Rahul Gandhi) doesn’t say that this happened when they (Congress) were in power…I challenge Rahul Gandhi to repeat in India what he is saying about Sikhs, and then I will file a case against him and will drag him to court,” RP Singh said.
Pannu supports Rahul
Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu supported Rahul’s remarks calling them bold.
In a statement released, Pannu said, “Rahul’s statement on ‘existential threat to Sikhs in India’ is not only bold and pioneering but is also firmly grounded in the factual history of what Sikhs have been facing under successive regimes in India since 1947 and also corroborates SFJ’s stance on the justification for Punjab Independence Referendum to establish Sikh homeland Khalistan.”
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, co-founder of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice, was recently declared a terrorist by the Indian government.
Protest in 10 Janpath
On Wednesday, members of Delhi BJP’s Sikh cell staged a protest against Rahul Gandhi near Sonia Gandhi’s residence, 10 Janpath, over his statements concerning the Sikh community.
The protesters, including women, raising slogans and carrying placards tried to approach Gandhi’s residence 10 Janpath, marching from Vigyan Bhawan but police stopped them.
The protesters raised slogans against Gandhi and demanded his apology for allegedly “humiliating” Sikhs and held the Congress responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the country.
(With inputs from PTI)
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