Sikh girl turban issue: SGPC team to meet Karnataka CM
Amritsar, February 26
The SGPC has sought an appointment with Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai after a Mangalore-based private school refused admission to a six-year-old Sikh child.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami has termed the denial of admission to the Sikh boy an “attack on the religious freedom” of Sikhs. Expressing concern, he pointed out earlier a college in Karnataka had asked an Amritdhari Gursikh girl not to sit in the class over her turban.
Minister clarifies
- BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal on Saturday said Karnataka Minister BC Nagesh had assured him that wearing turban was the constitutional right of the Sikhs
- He said the HC’s interim order was only applicable to wearing of hijab, saffron stole and religious flags
- He said the minister claimed the college had denied reports of forcing a Sikh girl student to remove turban. OC
Dhami said it violated the Constitution, which guaranteed religious freedom to all. He asked the Karnataka CM to take concrete steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the state. He said suppression of the religious freedom of Sikhs could not be tolerated, adding an SGPC delegation would soon visit the state to meet the CM on the issue. A letter in this regard had been sent to the CM’s office.
Meanwhile, the SGPC president objected to the directive issued to students in Delhi not to come to school in religious attire.He said it was unfortunate that the South Delhi Municipal Corporation had issued such instructions to officials of its education department, adding religious concerns and rights were being violated in the name of differences and inequality among students.
