Congress slams Pak PM for hurting sentiments of Sikhs after Nankana Sahib Gurudwara attack

Congress leader Alka Lamba slammed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for hurting sentiments of the Sikh community after the stone-pelting incident at Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.

"The religious sentiments of the Sikh Community have been deeply hurt. Pakistan Prime Minister should stop such activities. India will not tolerate such attacks on minorities in Pakistan", said Lamba.

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Congress stages protest over the attack

Indian Youth Congress activists staged a protest near the Pakistan Embassy against the attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Lahore. The protestors raised slogans against Pakistan. Speaking on the protest, Lamba said, "We want to send a strong message to Pakistan that they have to protect the minorities living there".

Lamba recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Pakistan while hitting out at the prime minister and said, "We are upset that Prime Minister Modi went to Pakistan without an invitation. He gave a shawl, went to marriages and came back after eating biryani. But after such a big tragedy happened in Pakistan, where is he? He is silent. Only Congress is here to condemn the attack and to support religious minorities", added Lamba.

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BJP also staged a protest march in Delhi against the condemnable attack on the shrine in Pakistan. Ministry of External Affairs has maintained that members of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan have been subjected to acts of violence at the holy city of Nankana Sahib, the birth-place of Guru Nanak Dev.

Pakistan, however, in denial mode rejected reports of such an attack saying the birthplace of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak remains "untouched and undamaged" and the "claims of destruction" of one of the holiest Sikh shrines are "false".

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An angry mob of 400 people attacked the holy shrine on Friday by pelting stones at the Gurudwara which is the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Sources report that the mob was led by Mohd. Imran Attari -the brother of Mohammed Hassan who was responsible for the forcible conversion of a Pakistani Sikh girl - Jagjit Kaur.

Reports have also asserted that the protestors consisting of Muslim residents of Nankana Sahib proclaimed that they will soon change the name from Nankana Sahib to Ghulaman-e-Mustafa. Moreover, the mob allegedly claimed that 'no Sikh will remain in Nankana'. Reports suggest that several Sikh devotees were stranded inside the Gurdwara which was attacked by the mob on Friday evening.

(With ANI inputs)

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