India protests with Pakistan over famous gurdwara in Lahore
New Delhi:
India today lodged a protest with the Pakistani High Commission over reports of attempts to convert a famous Lahore gurdwara into a mosque.
“A strong protest was filed today with the Pakistan High Commission over the reported incident in which Gurdwara Shahidi Asthan, place of the martyrdom of Bhai Taru Singh ji at the Naulakha Bazaar in Lahore, Pakistan, has been claimed as the location of Masjid Shahid Ganj and attempts are underway. made to convert it into a mosque, ”Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a statement.
Gurdwara Shahidi Asthan Bhai Taru Ji is a historic place where “Bhai Taru Ji made a supreme sacrifice in 1745,” the spokesperson said. It is a place of reverence and considered sacred by Sikhs and the incident was viewed with great concern in India, he said.
There have been calls for justice for the Sikh minority community in Pakistan. Akali Dal spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa tweeted calling on Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to take action against “extremists”.
“Pakistani extremists want to wipe out this Shaheedi Sthaan completely. It is against basic human rights – no one can deny a person the freedom to practice their religion @ImranKhanPTI Please warn these extremist elements and take immediate action to save Shaheedi Sthaan illegal squatters, ”Mr Sirsa tweeted.
Pakistani extremists want to wipe out this Shaheedi Sthaan completely.
This goes against basic human rights – no one can deny a person the freedom to practice their religion @ImranKhanPTI
Please warn these extremist elements and take immediate action to save Shaheedi Sthaan from illegal squatters https://t.co/AD3PjpKjkepic.twitter.com/ZHtqAtPXyi– Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) July 26, 2020
“Pakistan has also been called upon to ensure the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities, including the protection of their religious rights and cultural heritage,” said the spokesperson for the ministry of Foreign Affairs.
