Several protests were staged in India after a mob comprising hundreds of locals, led by a Muslim resident, reportedly attacked and pelted stones at the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan’s Punjab on Friday, 3 January.
Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, also known as Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is the site near Lahore in Pakistan where the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, was born.
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 Gurdwara's pathi.
DSGMC, Akali Dal Protest Near Pak High Commission
Members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and the Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday, 4 January, staged a protest near the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
The protest by DSGMC and Akali members was held around 1 pm near Chanakyapuri, an affluent neighbourhood and diplomatic enclave in the city.
The Sikh community members claimed that they have submitted a memorandum at the Pakistan High Commission, asking Islamabad to "explain the failure of law enforcing agencies" in the country.
Youth Congress Activists Stage Protest
Indian Youth Congress activists staged a protest near the Pakistan Embassy here against the attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Lahore. The protesters were raising slogans against Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
BJP Workers Protest Near Chanakyapuri Police Station
Several members of the BJP protested on Saturday against the attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.
The protestors, raising slogans against Pakistan, were stopped near Chanakyapuri police station.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, members of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan have been subjected to acts of violence at the holy city of Nankana Sahib.
Pakistan has, however, rejected media reports that the Gurdwara Nanakana Sahib was desecrated in a mob attack, saying the birthplace of founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak remains "untouched and undamaged" and the "claims of destruction" of one of the holiest Sikh shrines are "false".
Protests Erupt in Jammu
Several Sikh organisations and the Shiv Sena Dogra Front (SSDF) on Saturday, 4 January, staged separate protests In Jammu to condemn the mob attack on the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib.
The protests were held in different parts of the city and Poonch district town with the participants chanting slogans against Pakistan and setting ablaze the effigies of Pakistan premier Imran Khan, officials said.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)