Sikh group in UK seeks to ban Indian govt officials from entering gurdwaras

The Sikh Federation in UK said Sikhs in the diaspora were fed up with Indian government officials interfering in internal matters of the Sikh community

A prominent Sikh group in the UK wants to ban Indian officials from entering gurdwaras in the country, alleging that they are “interfering” in the internal matters of the Sikh community.

Sikh demonstrators shout slogans during a protest outside India House in London. (AFP File Photo)

“Sikhs in the diaspora are fed up with Indian government officials and their agents increasingly interfering in our institutions and Sikh affairs, undermining of Sikh campaigns for greater rights and internal matters of the Sikh community,” said Bhai Amrik Singh, the chair of the Sikh Federation (UK).

Indian authorities also target Sikhs from the diaspora when they visit India, Singh said, citing the case of UK national Jagtar Singh Johal who was arrested for his alleged role in targeted killings in Punjab.

Johal, who got married last month, was apprehended from Jalandhar in connection with the target killing.

The draft declaration by the UK’s Sikh Federation states that anyone in their personal capacity can pay their respects to the Sikh holy scriptures.