New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh gave zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday over attacks on gurudwaras and killings of Sikhs in Afghanistan. He has asked for a zero-session to discuss the issue on day 13 of the ongoing monsoon session of the Rajya Sabha.
On June 18, an Afghanistani minority who was later identified as a Sikh, died after unidentified assailants attacked a Gurudwara in Afghanistan’s Kabul city. Photographs and videos shared by Afghanistan news outlet Tolo News showed thick black plumes of smoke billowing out from the area. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a statement denounced the cowardly attack on the gurudwara and said that India is closely monitoring developments in Kabul.
According to sources, around 25 to 30 people were present inside the Kabul gurudwara complex for their morning prayers when the attackers entered the premises. Around 10-15 people managed to escape. Later, a visual showed people walking barefoot carrying the Holy Guru Granth Sahib on their heads to a different location. The Sikhs consider the Saroop, a physical copy of the Guru Granth Sahib as a living guru. ‘The sound of explosions was heard in the Karte Parwan area of Kabul city. Details about the nature and casualties of this incident are not yet known’, Afghan’s Tolo News tweeted.
Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targets of violence in Afghanistan. In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib gurudwara in Kabul’s Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked PM Modi for immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in Kabul.
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