Khalistan remark: Guv assures to urge CM to ‘take action against Suvendu’

A delegation of the Sikh community with representatives from seven Gurdwaras on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Governor C V Ananda Bose demanding immediate action against Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari’s for his alleged “Khalistani” jibe at a Sikh Indian Police

Service (IPS) officer. The members of the delegation during a press conference outside Raj Bhawan said that Governor Bose assured them that he would write a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging her to take action against Adhikari.

“We are staging protests for the past two days against Adhikari’s ‘Khalistani’ remark. We have told the Governor that many years ago the kings used to wear turban. Our 10th Guru Govind Singh has given us the turban to remove the differences of opinion. Our community will never tolerate an insult to our turban. We have sought the interference of the Governor urging him to ensure punishment to the accused as per the provisions laid down by our Constitution. The Governor assured us that he would write to the Chief Minister to take action against Adhikari and those who made such egregious comments. Governor Bose also handed over a note on his letterhead to the Sikh community saying: “On March 23, a Punjabi garden will be set up in the name of Bhagat Singh and trees will be sown….In Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore’s land, the Nation begins with Punjab as in the National anthem. We should not do anything which could even remotely hurt the sentiments of the Punjabi brethren. India owes a great deal to Punjabis. Our Punjabi jawans stand like a formidable wall defending national security. Our Punjabi kisans are at the forefront to ensure that we have enough food grains to feed the nation.”

Adhikari’s effigy was burnt by the protestors outside the BJP’s party office on Muralidhar Sen Lane. Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday took out a massive rally in South Kolkata protesting Adhikari’s “outrageous” remark about the Sikh IPS officer. Trinamool Youth Congress and Trinamool

Congress Chhatra Parishad also organised a protest march in Durgapur.

TMC in a post on X said: “The Sikh community will never tolerate this disrespect to our Turban. @SuvenduWB’s UNCONSTITUTIONAL act of labeling an on-duty Sikh IPS officer as #Khalistani has sparked massive outrage.”