Delhi BJP condemns demolition of historic Gurudwara in Pakistan

Delhi BJP leaders and state president Harsh Malhotra on Thursday condemned the “demolition” of a historic Gurudwara in Pakistan and criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for remaining silent on the issue.

Malhotra said in a statement that the demolition of the Gurdwara in Pakistan is “highly condemnable” and charged that the “silence” of the AAP government in Punjab on the issue is another “proof of its disregard” for Sikh values and traditions.  He said the Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Farukhabad, Pakistan, was “demolished” during the night of June 24–25.  The BJP leader said this is not an isolated incident, as attacks on Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and their places of worship have unfortunately become a recurring occurrence in Pakistan. Delhi government minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa condemned the attack on the religious place, stating that the 125-year-old Gurudwara in Pakistan was “demolished” overnight. “Occupation of Gurdwaras in Pakistan, encroachments on their properties, thereby damaging their heritage, is a grave sin. The world must take notice of this, and the Pakistan government must restore the Gurdwara Sahib,” Sirsa said.

Arvinder Singh Lovely, a Sikh leader of the BJP and chairman of the Trans Yamuna Area Development Board, said while Pakistan pretends to be a saviour of minorities worldwide, it has failed to safeguard minorities and their religious places.

“What has happened in Pakistan is also a violation of UNESCO norms,” he said.

Lovely said the Narendra Modi government took prompt cognisance of the matter and conveyed a “strong message” to the Pakistan government and called for its reconstruction.