Delhi BJP Sikh cell protests Rahul Gandhi’s remark in US, seeks apology
NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP’s Sikh cell - Sikh Prakosth - on Wednesday staged a protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged controversial remarks in the United States concerning Sikhs in India.
The protesters, including women, attempted to march towards Gandhi’s residence but were not allowed by the police. As the protesters tried to disobey the police orders, they were subsequently detained but later released after a warning.
The protesters demanded an apology from Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the lower house of Parliament, for his recent remarks in the US while addressing a gathering of Indian Americans in a Washington DC suburb.
“The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as 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,” Gandhi had said.
BJP’s Sikh Cell convener Sardar Charanjeet Singh Lovely condemned this statement and remarked that Congress has historically been the party that caused the most harm to Sikhs.
“The Sikh community and the nation can never forget or forgive these atrocities be it Operation Blue Star, Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the Sikhs across the country and retract his statement,” Lovely said.
The Delhi BJP accused Rahul of being the first leader of the opposition who makes controversial statements on India’s internal matters in front of the foreign media.
Party’s national spokesperson RP Singh stated that Gandhi should refrain from making such statements, especially about the Sikh community.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva also slammed Gandhi for his comments on caste-based reservation. Gandhi during his address had said that his party will “think of ending reservation when India is a fair place”.