A British Sikh MP, Preet Kaur Gill, had shared a tweet in which she referred the man who was lynched to death at Golden Temple after an alleged ‘sacrilege’ attempt as a ‘Hindu Terrorist’. Her tweet angered the Hindu community not only in the UK but across the globe. Her tweet also got noticed by the Indian high commission in London.
The commission said in a statement that it is “constrained to unequivocally repudiate” the comment made by the MP before Indian security agencies could investigate and release a statement on the probe.
After the uproar, the MP deleted the tweet and replaced it with another tweet saying, “No place of worship or community should be targeted in this way. Awful scenes from Harmandir Sahib.”
Contents of now-deleted MP Gill’s tweet
After the reports of alleged sacrilege, and the brutal lynching afterwards came out in International media, Preet Kaur Gill published a tweet on Saturday (local time) saying, “Hindu terrorist prevented from an act of violence at the Sikh holy shrine of Harmandir Sahib against Sikhs.”
We live in times where British MPs @houseofcommons can be employed to defend mob-lynching in countries beyond their jurisdiction. pic.twitter.com/Kn0HiteyLF
— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) December 20, 2021
Her tweet did not go well with the Indian diaspora resulting in sharp criticism. The MP later deleted the tweet and published another tweet condemning the incident. Notably, she did not mention anything about the lynching that had happened following the alleged incident, where the man was brutally beaten to death. In the tweet she said, “No place of worship or community should be targeted in this way. Awful scenes from Harmandir Sahib.”
No place of worship or community should be targeted in this way. Awful scenes from Harmandir Sahib. 🙏 https://t.co/jYHs9ctOmm
— Preet Kaur Gill MP (@PreetKGillMP) December 18, 2021
Later on Monday (local time), Gill published another tweet in which she finally condemned the lynching. She 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 inquiry into these matters.”
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. @SGPCAmritsar @PMOIndia
— Preet Kaur Gill MP (@PreetKGillMP) December 20, 2021
Times of India quoted Gill saying, “I have posted my tweets, but if people want to focus on a deleted tweet clearly, they have another agenda which is to incite hate and division.” She tried to play the victim by saying that she was being trolled by “rightwing Hindu groups” and had reported it to the Police.
Gill was not the only one to call the deceased a ‘Hindu terrorist.’
MP Gill was not the only one who called the deceased a “Hindu terrorist”. Several others made similar remarks. One of them was Harjap Bhangal, an immigration lawyer from the UK. In a series of tweets, He said, “Let me correct the headline… Hindu Terrorist who grabbed a sword in an attempt to attack innocent praying people, including women and children, is prevented from slaughtering them by Sikhs… Much better….” It is noteworthy that Bhangal was quoted by MP Gill in her second tweet on the incident.
Reaction from Indian high commission and Indian Diaspora
Her now-deleted tweet has been making rounds on social media platforms and messaging apps like WhatsApp. The Indian high commission in London issued a statement. Vishwesh Negi, minister (press and information) at the Indian high commission, 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.”
He further added the Indian mission was concerned about the effects such statements by a foreign MP could have on the British Indian community.
Hindu Forum of Britain’s Trupti Patel demanded an apology from Gill. Trupti added she would report Gill to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. She said, “The Hindu community is shocked to see this tweet by the chair of the APPG for British Sikhs. Without checking facts, she believed the gossip of others and tweeted spreading anti-Hindu fake news when she knows very well that Hindus only act in self-defence and never attack anyone.”
Golden Temple lynching incident
On December 18, a youth was lynched to death in the Golden Temple, Amritsar, over allegations of sacrilege inside Akal Takht. The youth allegedly jumped the railing and picked up a sword that was lying down next to Guru Granth Sahib. He was nabbed by the devotees, and SGPC members present inside Akal Takht. Later, he was brutally lynched to death.
Notably, instead of condemning the lynching and murder, all politicians, irrespective of the party line, only condemned the alleged sacrilege. The deceased has not been identified yet. Congress Party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu even openly called for a Taliban-style public execution for anyone who desecrates scriptures belonging to any religion.
