Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is currently touring the United States, stirred up a fresh controversy at an event with a comment about the condition of the Sikh community in India.
While addressing a gathering in Washington DC where, according to government sources, many pro-Khalistan Sikhs were in attendance, Rahul “justified SFJ’s global Khalistan Referendum campaign” when he stated: “Fight in India is whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear turban and kada, go to gurdwara.”
Now, Sikhs for Justice co-founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has come out in support of the Congress leader’s stance.
“Rahul’s statement on ‘existential threat to Sikhs in India’ is not only bold and pioneering but is also firmly grounded in the factual history of what Sikhs have been facing under successive regimes in India since 1947 and also corroborates SFJ’s stance on the justification for Punjab Independence Referendum to establish Sikh homeland Khalistan,” the separatist leader said in a statement.
Government sources cited this as another outcome of the Congress MP’s imprudent behaviour.
“This happens when you start speaking without briefing and out of turn,” a source said. “Speaking against the country outside gives momentum to people like Pannun. No Sikh is unhappy in India and internal matters will be resolved internally.”
Earlier, union minister Hardeep Singh Puri condemned Rahul Gandhi’s comments and asserted that his language matched the tone of Khalistani separatist Pannun, who is wanted in India on terror charges.
“Rahul’s language is quite similar to the fugitive from our law who lives in New York, Pannun….is he meeting him?” said the minister.
BJP Reacts
Responding to Rahul’s remarks, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “The Congress party is once again in alliance with terrorists. Rahul Gandhi’s statement about turbans has no support within the country, but terrorist organizations outside the country are supporting his statement. The Congress party is shamelessly accepting this support and has not yet denounced it.”
