Video Editor: Vishal Kumar
Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan on Sunday, 5 January, condemned the mob attacks on Nankana Sahib Gurudwara, through a post on Twitter.
In his tweet, the prime minister said that “zero tolerance & protection from the govt incl police & judiciary” will be offered to the mob.
In a second tweet, he compared the mob attacks to attacks on minorities in India, stating that these attacks are not only supported by the current Indian government but are also led by the police.
A mob comprising hundreds of locals, led by a Muslim resident, reportedly attacked and pelted stones at the Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan’s Punjab on Friday, 3 January.
Some local Sikhs were reportedly trapped within the Gurudwara premises, which is believed to be the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru.
According to news agency ANI, the group was led by the family of a boy who had allegedly abducted a Sikh girl, Jagjit Kaur, daughter of the Gurudwara's pathi.
According to a Times of India report, Kaur had embraced Islam and had married a local boy, Mohammad Hassan, following which her family members had lodged a complaint with the police. They blamed Hassan for allegedly kidnapping Jagjit and forcibly marrying her.
On Friday, Hassan's brother allegedly organised a mob and surrounded the Gurudwara and threatened to destroy it, according to India Today.
‘Altercation Between Two Muslim Groups’: Pakistan
In a press release on 4 January, a day after the incident, Pakistan claimed that the “scuffle” was between two Muslim groups and the accused have been arrested.
“Attempts to paint this incident as a communal issue are patently motivated. Most importantly, the Gurudwara remains untouched and undamaged. All insinuations to the contrary, particularly the claims of acts of ‘desecration and destruction’ of the holy place, are not only false but also mischievous,” said the press release.
Strong Action Must Be Taken: MEA
Reacting to the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the Pakistan government is enjoined to "take all measures to protect and preserve sanctity" of the Gurudwara and that strong action must be taken against miscreants.
"India strongly condemns these wanton acts of destruction and desecration of the holy place. We call upon the Government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of the members of the Sikh community," it said.
The ministry also sa that the incident is a fallout of “abduction and conversion of Jagjit Kaur, the Sikh girl who was kidnapped from her home in the city of Nankana Sahib in August last year.”
Rahul Gandhi, Punjab CM, Union Min Hardeep Puri React
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh also tweeted, asking Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the attack on the shrine was “reprehensible and must be condemned unequivocally.”
Meanwhile, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that this incident was “proof” about the state of minorities in Pakistan.
“These are wanton acts of vandalism, arson and stone pelting against one of the holiest Sikh shrines. If any more proof was needed on the state of minorities in Pakistan then this is it.”Hardeep Singh Puri
Earlier, Akali Dal MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa had shared a video which he claimed showed a mob shouting anti-Sikh slogans.
(With inputs from ANI, Times of India, India Today)
Protests Outside Pakiastan Embassy in New Delhi
Demonstrations were held outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by Delhi BJP workers in response to the attacks on Lahore's Gurdwara Nankana Sahi and alleged abduction of a Sikh girl Jagjeet Kaur and her forcible conversion to Islam.
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