Mount pressure to stop turban removal: Badal

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjit Singh GK was asked to remove his turban during frisking at the Rome international airport.

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday urged the central government to mount pressure on foreign countries so that turbans worn by Sikh travellers were not ordered removed for security checks at international airports.

Badal termed the turban as an integral part of the Sikh identity. He said it was unfortunate that Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK was asked to remove his turban during frisking at the Rome international airport. "Removal of turban in the name of security check in foreign countries is a direct assault on the Sikh identity. Any disrespect to the identity in any form is not tolerable. Such practices hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs," Badal said. He said that to stop this practice, the Ministry of External Affairs, through its embassies in various countries, must convey to the respective national governments that they must accord due respect to the turban. "I will soon take up this matter with the prime minister and the Union External Affairs Minister for immediate action," he added. The state of Punjab has the highest number of Sikhs in the country. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself belongs to the community. IANS