Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar on Sunday lodged a strong protest over the order of the authorities of the Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi, directing all their baptised Sikh employees to take off their ‘kirpan’ while on duty at the airport. The protest by Makkar has been lodged through a letter sent to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry from the SGPC headquarters on Sunday.
Makkar, in the letter, expressed surprise at such an order having been passed by the authorities and termed it as ‘unfortunate’. “The order is against the rights of an individual to preach and practice his religion in whichever way he likes,” he said in the letter.
Makkar pointed out that the order was all the more surprising as baptised Sikhs have now been allowed to wear six-inch ‘kirpans’ during flights. He called upon the Union Ministry to immediately get the order withdrawn.