THE brutal killing of Sikhs by Taliban in Pakistan received strong protest all over the country. Various organisations strongly condemned the killing and demanded the Government of India to take a strong action against Pakistan.
BJP leaders including MP Shri Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjab party president Shri Ashwani Sharma, Health Minister of Punjab Smt Laxmikanta Chawla along with many party workers protested the killing at Attari border on February 22. The BJP workers in New Delhi demonstrated outside the Pakistan High Commission. The demonstration was led by state BJP president Shri Om Prakash Kohli. Later, a five-member delegation submitted a memorandum to the High Commissioner and urged the Pakistan government to take appropriate steps to ensure the security of minorities in Pakistan. The delegation which submitted the memorandum included Shri Om Prakash Kohli, Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Dr Nand Kishore Garg, Shri RP Singh and Sardar Jaspal Singh.
The demonstrators assembled near the Pakistani embassy at Teen Murti and raised slogans against the atrocities being committed on minorities in Pakistan. They were carrying banners and placards on which slogans like Sikh par atyachar band karo, Alpsankhyko ko suraksha pradan karo, Vahashi Talibano ko saja do, were written.
Addressing the demonstrators, Prof Kohli said until the terrorist activities of Taliban are not curbed the relations between the two countries cannot be normal. He raised a question that in an atmosphere in which the people of Sikh community are being beheaded what is the meaning of the secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan?
Strongly condemning the beheading of two Sikhs and abducting of others, VHP general secretary Dr Pravin Togadia said the beheading of Sikhs in Kabaili areas of Peshawar under Pakistan is a part of Pakistan’s continued jehad against Bharat supported by all Muslim countries and anyone who has any roots in Bharat be it Sikhs or Sanatan Dharma practitioners are their targets.
In a statement issued in New Delhi on February 22, Dr Togadia said Muslim invaders when they ruled Bharat forced Islam over Hindus and imposed jazia over those who refused to convert. Even now they are doing it with Sikhs and Sanatanis in Pakistan. “This is absolutely unacceptable and the way they do it in Pakistan and even in Bharat through Sharia, if Bharat or even Punjab alone decides to apply an eye-for-an-eye rule, then it would be difficult for many. But Bharat will not do it as Bharat believes in democratic process of justice. This is exactly what Pakistan knows. Therefore, Pakistan keeps on doing such ethnic cleansing not only in Pakistan but even sponsors such heinous activities in Kashmir, Assam and now through jehadi attacks even in places like Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and many more that we all have seen. Our government’s vote-bank-begging mentality makes people in Bharat, Sikhs and Sanatanis in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia extremely unsafe.”
Demanding immediate stoppage of all talks with Pakistan until the killers of the Sikhs in Pakistan are brought to justice not in Pakistan but in Bharat or in the international courts, Dr Togadia reminded the bravery of Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Teg Bahadur and even Bhagat Singh. He said, “There is a glorious history as to how Punjab led Bharat in the war against cruel and extreme brutalities on Sikhs by the Muslim rulers. Even at the time of Partition, despite the huge losses, Sikhs and Sanatanis together fought against Islamic fanatics with so much courage. Even in the Indian Army, there are glorious officers from Punjab who finally led Bharat to the victory in wars against Pakistan and China. Today, when Pakistan is misusing the vulnerability of 10,000 Sikh and some Sanatanis in Peshawar to implement its ethnic cleansing jehad due to our government’s vote-bank politics, it is high time we all together stood up against such jehadi acts of beheading Sikhs and throwing their heads in gurudwaras. This is the worst-ever humiliation of the Sikhs, Sanatanis and Bharat. The government must stop all talks with Pakistan, refrain from all cultural, sports, social, trade or political relations with Pakistan and declare a war against Pakistan for this and we as a united society should stand up democratically against such jehadi mentality.”
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat urged the Government of India to discontinue dialogue with Pakistan and take a concrete step to destroy the terrorist training camps being operated in Pakistan to destabilise India. In a statement issued in New Delhi on February 22, the Sangat said the killing of the Sikhs has refreshed the decades-old wounds. The statement warned the Government of Pakistan to destroy the terrorist training camps being operated in the country otherwise it would be done by any other nation.
(FOC)
