Chandigarh: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Wednesday sought withdrawal of the notification prohibiting Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh employees from wearing Sikh Kakaar (symbols of faith) Kirpan at Indian airports. Known as the mini-parliament of Sikhs, the SGPC is a representative body of Sikhs living across the world.

Dhami held that the recent order issued by Union Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Bureau Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS) in the context, the prohibition on wearing Kirpan for Sikh employees performing duty at airports is an excess and in violation of the Article 25 of the Constitution of India.

He said that a letter in this matter has been written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, expressing strong objection to this directive and an appeal has been made to immediately withdraw and revise the BCAS order.

He said that this discrimination within his own country is a major attack on the religious freedom of Sikh citizens. Stating that the government should never forget that the Sikhs made great sacrifices for the freedom of this country, he said that the governments should refrain from such actions that hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs.