BJP slams denial of Sikh sarpanch’s entry at Red Fort over ‘kirpan’

New Delhi, Aug 18 BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh on Monday called on Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma here and submitted a formal representation against Assistant Commissioner of Police Shashi Kant Gaur for stopping an “amritdhari” Sikh sarpanch from a village of Punjab at the Red Fort on Independence Day, despite being specially invited to the event.

Singh said the incident amounted to an insult to the Sikh community. Gurdhyan Singh of Kalsana village in Nabha was invited to attend the Independence Day function.

In his representation, Singh highlighted that the sarpanch (village head) was denied entry solely because he was carrying the ‘kirpan’, a sacred article of Sikh faith and constitutionally protected under Article 25. He said this was a violation of constitutional rights, as upheld by the Supreme Court, and amounted to both an insult to the Sikh community and an act of dereliction of duty, bringing disrepute to Delhi Police.

During the meeting, Joint Commissioner of Police Verma placed a video call with the sarpanch, expressed regret over the incident, and confirmed that an inquiry will be conducted into this episode against the officer concerned.

He also invited the sarpanch for a personal meeting, reaffirming goodwill and respect. R.P. Singh welcomed this gesture of responsibility by the Delhi Police leadership while stressing that strict instructions must be issued to prevent recurrence and to fully safeguard the constitutional and religious rights of the Sikh community.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Sunday condemned the incident, saying the refusal to allow Gurdhyan Singh entry because of his “kirpan” was a reflection of an “anti-Sikh mentality”. He emphasised that preventing a Sikh from participating in a national event due to their religious symbol is an affront to the Sikh community and an act of treating them as outsiders in their own country.

The SGPC president clarified that the “five kakars”, which include the kirpan, are an integral part of Sikh identity and cannot be abandoned. He called for strict action against the officials responsible for this incident to ensure it doesn’t happen again in the future.

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