A group of members of the Sikh community on Monday launched a massive protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to protest against the forced conversion of Sikh girls in Pakistan, reports ANI.
Reportedly, the protesters were seen burning effigies while demanding protection of the Sikh families residing in Pakistan amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
The Sikh community members were trying to submit a memorandum at the Pakistan High Commission when they were stopped. As they were stopped, the angry protestors launched violent protests near the premises of the Pakistan embassy.
The police forces posted outside the Pakistan High Commission struggled to contain the protesters behind the barricades while the Sikh protesters climbed over the police posts and raised slogans against Pakistan.
Addition to Sikh protests, people belonging to different faiths and communities took out a march in Delhi on Sunday to protest abduction, forceful conversion and marriage of a Sikh girl to a Muslim man in Pakistan.
They walked from Teen Murti Bhavan to Pakistan High Commission in solidarity with the girl.
“Atrocities are being committed on Hindu and Sikh girls in Pakistan. We will never tolerate it,” All India Hindu Sangharsh Committee president Sachin Mehra.
In a separate protest, activists of Bajrang Dal Hindustan on Sunday set fire to the effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Amritsar and called for solidarity between Hindu and Sikhs to protest against the continued lack of action by the Pakistani government on the abduction of the Sikh girl.
The severe protests against the Pakistan government come after 19-year old Jagjit Kaur was kidnapped and forced to marry a Muslim man in Pakistan. Reportedly, the Pakistan man, who forcibly converted and married Sikh girl is affiliated to 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s proscribed terror outfit Jama’at-ud-Da’wah (JuD).
Following this, there were some reports that the Pakistan police had arrested 8 members and the victim Sikh girl had returned home. But, the family of the girl denied these claims. They have stated that the girl was never brought home and the reports of the arrest of kidnappers are also incorrect.
The kidnapping incident had drawn the attention of Sikhs worldwide and sparked anger in the community. The matter had raised a huge furore in India with several political leaders across parties asking for action to be taken against the perpetrators.
Strongly protesting against the horrific act, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh had slammed Pakistan PM Imran Khan for ensuring the safety of minorities in his country. Expressing disgust over the incident, Captain Amarinder Singh requested External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar to strongly take up the matter with his Pakistani counterpart over the forced conversion of a Sikh girl into Islam.
Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh too had echoed similar sentiments and demanded Imran Khan to take strong action in this case. He had also tweeted that every religion is beautiful and that people should not assume God’s responsibilities and let god decide which religion one is born into.
