Prominent Indian community leaders and the Hindu Council of the UK condemned the Birmingham Edgbaston MP for linking the incident with the Hindu community. They said the controversial MP will spoil the chances of Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer becoming prime minister by burning the bridges with the Indian community
Preet Kaur Gill, Labour (Co-op) MP for Birmingham, Edgbaston, triggered a storm on Twitter after linking the sacrilege incidents at Golden Temple and Kapurthala with a “Hindu terrorist.” On Saturday evening, a man was allegedly beaten to death after he tried to desecrate the sacred Guru Granth Sahib at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The youth, reportedly belonging to Uttar Pradesh, entered the restricted area and tried to pick the sword kept in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. He was caught by security persons and was handed over to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) office, where he was beaten to death.
“Hindu terrorist prevented from an act of violence at the Sikh holy shrine of Harmandir Sahib, (Golden Temple) against Sikhs,” the MP tweeted. But the tweet was deleted within 7 minutes. Asian Lite contacted the Birmingham Edgbaston MP for a comment.
Prominent Indian community leaders and the Hindu Council of the UK condemned the MP for linking the incident with the Hindu community. “We @hindu_counciluk revere all Sikh Gurus but Khalistani MP’s are creating a wedge,” said Anil Bhanot, former general secretary of the Hindu Council UK and Hindu Religious Advisor to the Ministry of Defence since 2005. The High Commission of India in London also condemned the tweet.
In a statement, the Indian mission said: The High Commission of India is constrained to unequivocally repudiate the public comment by a Member of the British Parliament regarding a crime that occurred in India even before the Indian law enforcement authority could investigate or comment or declare their finding. The High Commission of India is concerned at the effect that such commentary by a foreign MP may have on inter-communal harmony and peace in the British Indian community.”
Lord Rami Ranger, the most influential Sikh politician in Europe, also condemned the tweet. “The killing anyone in any Gurdwara is sacrilege and contempt to the living Guru, Granth Sahib,” said Lord Ranger, the chairman of British Sikh Association.
Prominent members of the Indian community said the controversial Birmingham Edgbaston MP will spoil the chances of Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer becoming prime minister. Screenshots of the ‘deleted’ tweet have been circulating since Saturday, with some social media users accusing the British MP of being “Hinduphobic”.
They also accused Kaur of “stirring religious bigotry”. Another used said Kaur is a “blot” who should be sued and forced to resign. “Preet Kaur is a “blot” who should be sued and forced to resign,” said SS Gill. In a later tweet, the MP said: No place of worship or community should be targeted in this way. Awful scenes from Harmandir Sahib.
Another tweet from the MP said: Beadbi incidents are unacceptable but the lynching of another person is also unacceptable and no one should take matters into their own hands. We need a full enquiry into these matters.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi reiterated his government’s firm commitment to thoroughly probe the entire matter to get into the bottom of the case. Talking to the media in Amritsar after paying obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib, Channi, who accompanied by Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, described it as the most heinous act, which has not only hurt religious sentiments but also tormented all, and should be condemned with the harshest possible words by one and all.
He appealed to the people to take due care and caution to protect the religious places, including gurdwaras, temples and institutions related to any religion or faith in order to foil nefarious designs of any agency or anti-social element in wake of the forthcoming assembly elections in the state. At the same, the Chief Minister exhorted the people to keep restraint during the prevailing sensitive situation by demonstrating their unflinching trust in the ethos of peace, harmony, brotherhood and religious tolerance.
Replying to a media query regarding the recurrence of such incidents in the coming days, Channi said the state intelligence agencies and the police force are pro-actively engaged to avert such acts of anti-social elements. He also called upon the people to be vigilant and extend wholehearted support and cooperation to the state government in maintaining law and order. Making firm resolve to preserve hard-earned peace and harmony across the state, Channi said that no one would be allowed to disturb the congenial atmosphere at any cost in the state.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said the sacrilege incident is a conspiracy to create unrest in society and asked for the unmasking of conspirators behind the incident. In a statement RSS general secretary, Dattatreya Hosabale said that such incidents should not be allowed to shatter mutual harmony. “Yesterday’s incident of an attempt to desecrate the Guru Granth Sahib in the golden temple in Amritsar is unfortunate. The RSS condemns this incident,” Hosabale said.
He further stated that Guru Granth Sahib and Sri Guru tradition are subject of common heritage and faith, and also the repository of India’s wealth of knowledge. “There are forces that are conspiring to create disharmony in the society and they continue to do it,” he said.
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