India condemns ‘targeted killing’ of Sikh community member in Peshawar; 25-year-old man was shopping for his wedding
Two days after an attack on Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan’s Punjab province by a Muslim mob, a Sikh minority community member Ravinder Singh was on Sunday murdered in Peshawar by an “unidentified” gunman,
leading to a strong protest from India which condemned the “targeted killing” of the young Sikh man.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan should stop “prevaricating” and take immediate action to apprehend and give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the crime.
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal condemned the killing and tweeted, “A day after mob attacked our holy shrine #GurdwaraNankanaSahib, this brutal murder of Sikh youth in Peshawar shows the extent of persecution minorities face in Pak. I urge PM @narendramodi ji to imm take up the issue with @ImranKhanPTI & ensure the safety of Sikh brethren there.”
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also tweeted, “Shocked & anguished over killing of Sikh youth Ravinder Singh in Pakistan, coming on heels of Nankana Sahib Attack. Imran Khan govt must ensure thorough investigation and strict punishment for the culprits. This is the time to act on what you preach.”
The incident involving killing of 25-year-old Sikh man comes two days after a mob attacked, desecrated and vandalised the most revered gurdwara at Nankana Sahib. The victim Ravinder Singh was the brother of Public News anchor Harmeet Singh. He was shot dead in Peshawar by an unidentified man, according to media reports.
Ravinder was a resident of Shangla district at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was in Peshawar for shopping ahead of his planned wedding. His Peshawar visit came soon after he returned home from his Malaysia visit. After killing him, the murderer made a phone call to Ravinder’s family, a media report said quoting the Peshawar police.
“India strongly condemns the targeted killing of minority Sikh community member in Peshawar that follows the recent despicable vandalism and desecration of the holy Gurdwara Sri Janam Asthan at Nankana Sahib and the unresolved case of abduction, forced conversion and marriage of a Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur,” the MEA said. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan should stop “prevaricating” and take immediate action to apprehend and give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the crime.
“India strongly condemns the targeted killing of minority Sikh community member in Peshawar that follows the recent despicable vandalism and desecration of the holy Gurdwara Sri Janam Asthan at Nankana Sahib and the unresolved case of abduction, forced conversion and marriage of a Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur,” the MEA said. It said the Government of Pakistan should act in defence of their own minorities instead of “preaching sermons” about it to other countries. India had on Friday strongly condemned vandalism at the revered Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan and called upon the neighbouring country to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of the Sikh community there.
The External Affairs Ministry said members of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan have been subjected to acts of violence at the holy city of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev.
The MEA said these reprehensible actions followed the forcible abduction and conversion of a Sikh girl who was kidnapped from her home in the city of Nankana Sahib in August last year.
According to media reports, a mob attack took place at the shrine where the Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev was born.
Reports suggested that hundreds of angry Muslims pelted the Sikh pilgrims visiting Nankana Sahib with stones on Friday. The mob was led by the family of a man who had allegedly abducted a Sikh teenager from her home last August.
Addressing a meeting of Delhi BJP workers in New Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked Pakistan for “terrorising” Sikhs as he referred to a recent attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib by a violent mob in Pakistan and asked Opposition leaders to open their eyes to atrocities against minorities in the neighbouring country.
“This is an answer to all those opposing the CAA. Tell me if these Sikhs who were attacked the other day in Gurdwara Nankana Sahib will not come to India, then where they will go?” he asked.
The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains and Parsis who had arrived in India by December 31, 2014 from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh due to religious persecution.
The Opposition has also come out strongly against the Pakistan authorities for failing to prevent the attack. “The attack on Nankana Sahab is reprehensible and must be condemned unequivocally. Bigotry is a dangerous, age-old poison that knows no borders. Love + Mutual Respect + Understanding is its only known antidote,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Saturday.
Jammu & Kashmir-based All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement on Sunday condemned the attack on Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan and demanded an immediate probe to fix responsibility.
“Some elements in Pakistan want to give trouble to minorities including Sikhs. An immediate probe would fix the responsibility following which action can be taken against the culprits,”