Rajya Sabha condemns Milan incident

Turban issue raised during Zero Hour by SAD member Gujral

New Delhi, December 7
The Rajya Sabha condemned the incidents of Sikhs being forced to remove their turbans in the name of security, particularly in Italy, in one voice today. Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, who was in the Chair when the issue was raised during Zero Hour, joined the members in condemning the disrespect shown to the Sikh turban.

The issue was raised by Shiromani Akali Dal member Naresh Gujral, who referred to the latest incident involving Jet Airways commander Ravijodh Singh at the Milan airport. Khan said, "The entire House joins in condemning this incident and this should be conveyed to the government".

Gujral said the Sikhs were being publicly humiliated. While seeking government intervention in checking the recurrence of such incidents, Gujral said, "This has outraged the Sikh community worldwide".

He was of the view that the government should urgently summon the Italian Ambassador and convey to him in unequivocal terms the anger of the community over the matter. "The government has to ensure that the brave Sikhs are not insulted again and again," he said.

He was joined on the issue by Deputy Leader of the BJP in the House SS Ahluwalia, who termed the incidents as "highly condemnable". He pointed out that the turban had religious significance and could not be removed and screened through X-rays like caps. "This should be condemned", he said, pointing out that this was happening to the citizens of the country where the Prime Minister, a Sikh, wore a turban.

"The government is not taking it seriously," Ahluwalia said and referred to other such incidents including one involving India 's former Ambassador in the US Meera Shankar. The BJP member said that the government should take immediate steps to ensure that the Sikhs were not humiliated anywhere in the world on the pretext of security.

He demanded that the Italian Ambassador be summoned to convey the hurt felt by the Sikh community. Akali Del leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa echoed similar sentiments.