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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson RP Singh on Monday met Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma and submitted a formal representation against ACP Shashi Kant Gaur for "not allowing" sarpanch Gurdhyan Singh to attend the Independence Day function at Red Fort on August 15.
Singh, who is a sarpanch of village Kalsana in Punjab's Nabha of Patiala district, was allegedly stopped from attending the function despite possessing a valid official invitation issued by the centre. In his representation, RP Singh highlighted that the sarpanch was denied entry solely because he was carrying the Sri Sahib (Kirpan), a sacred article of Sikh faith inseparable from Sikh identity and constitutionally protected under Article 25. He said this was a violation of constitutional rights, as upheld by the Supreme Court in Balwant Singh vs State of Rajasthan (2006), and amounted to both an insult to the Sikh community and an act of dereliction of duty, bringing disrepute to Delhi Police. During the meeting, Jt CP Madhur Verma placed a video call with Sarpanch Gurdhyan Singh, expressed regret over the incident, and confirmed that an inquiry will be conducted in this episode against the officer concerned. He also invited the sarpanch for a personal meeting, reaffirming goodwill and respect. RP Singh welcomed this gesture of responsibility by the Delhi Police leadership while stressing that strict instructions must be issued to prevent recurrence and to fully safeguard the constitutional and religious rights of the Sikh community. (ANI)
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