Initiated Sikh Disallowed in Delhi PM Address; Anti-Sikh Slogans in Bihar

The sarpanch (village council head) of Kalsana village in Panjab’s Patiala district, Gurdhian Singh, said that he was invited to the Independence Day function at Red Fort from where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the country. However, Gurdhian was denied entry as he was wearing the kirpan (traditional sword), an essential article of Sikh faith. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami has strongly condemned the alleged denial of entry, saying it reflects a disturbing attitude of alienation towards Sikhs in their own country. The incident is within weeks of Gurpreet Kaur being stopped from appearing for the Rajasthan High Court (Jodhpur) Civil Judge recruitment exam in Jaipur. In that incident the state government later accepted that Sikh articles of faith are allowed. The security forces now may again accept that but this is ad hoc systemic discrimination against Sikhs. Meanwhile, on Independence Day, 15 Aug, in the Singhwada area of Darbhanga district, Bihar posters appeared in public spaces openly targeting Sikhs and Muslims. People took to the street carrying placards with slogans like 'Sikhs/Muslims Quit India' and 'Both are terrorists'. With state elections coming up in Bihar in a few months, it is suspected the attempt is to create communal unrest for political gain. Former Member of Legislative Assembly from Janata Dal (United) Rishi Mishra said, 'This has never happened in the Singhwada area. Communal forces are behind this, and they want to destroy the peace of our society.' Concurrently, the Uttarakhand Cabinet has approved the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, which when enacted would extend benefits hitherto available only to Muslim educational institutions in the state to educational institutions of the Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist, and Parsi communities. The study of Gurmukhi (script for Panjabi) and Pali (script not specified) languages in minority educational institutions will also be recognized. In other news, Aam Aadmi Party Member of Parliament Malvinder Singh Kang has written to India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, seeking his urgent intervention to resolve the problems being faced by several Indian nationals from Panjab stranded in Spain due to delays in passport renewal and re-issuance at the Indian Consulate there (earlier coverage).