Comedian Bharti Singh faces SGPC ire over her comment on beard

GS Paul 

Amritsar, May 16

Stand-up comedian Bharti Singh had to face the ire of the Sikh community for allegedly making fun of the beard and moustache. Though she had submitted her apology, her controversial remarks during a conversation in a television programme have not gone down well with the SGPC, which has lodged a complaint with the Amritsar Police Commissioner.

DCP Parminder Singh Bhandal said that an FIR has been registered with the Kotwali police station on the basis of SGPC’s complaint. Several human rights and Sikh organisations, including the SAD’s women wing, staged a protest in Amritsar against Bharti. Holding banners against Bharti they demanded to book her under Section 295-A IPC for mocking at Sikh ethics and principles.

Meanwhile, Bharti also took to social media to submit a public apology through a video message. While speaking in Punjabi, Bharti acknowledged that her comments were misinterpreted and misunderstood. She clarified that her joke had no reference to any particular religion or community. She further tendered an apology if she had unknowingly hurt the sentiments of any community.

SGPC, in its complaint, submitted that though Bharti did not name the Sikh community while passing the objectionable remarks, the beard and moustache would count under the five ‘kakkars’ (Sikh religious symbols).

SGPC additional secretary Partap Singh, who has filed complaint on behalf of the Sikh body, said “Despite being born and brought up in the holy city Amritsar, she had made a deliberate attempt to gain cheap publicity by mocking at the Sikh swaroop (appearance). We have received complaints from the Sikh global community and we believe that her statement has hurt the Sikh sentiments. She is liable to face stern legal action so that no one would dare to repeat it,” he said.

While poking fun, Bharti had said in her TV programme, “Beard-moustache has many benefits; drink milk and put some of the beard in your mouth, it will taste nothing less than Seviyaan (a dessert)”. She also stated that many of her friends married to those who have beard and they kept busy taking out lice from it all day long.

After her joke went viral on social media, she faced flak from several quarters of the Sikh community and was trolled vastly.

Punjabi singer Babbu Mann, during his live show, also condemned Bharti for her comments on ‘beard-moustache’ and demanded reply from ‘Kapil Sharma’s team’, as Bharti is part of his popular television show.