Top Sikh body criticises US for preventing Sikh illegal immigrants deportees ‘turban’, set to Trump administration

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee on Sunday strongly objected to the United States authorities' treatment of Sikh deportees who arrived in Amritsar on Saturday. The SGPC condemned US officials for allegedly not allowing Sikh deportees to wear turban.

Criticising the US authorities over the alleged treatment of Sikh deportees, SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal said they will raise the issue with Donald Trump administration officials. “Turban is the part of a Sikh,” PTI quoted Grewal.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia urged the Ministry of External Affairs to immediately raise the matter with the US authorities so that such an incident is never repeated.

Illegal immgirants from US arrive in Amritsar

Two batches of Indians living in the United States arrived in Amritsar on Saturday and Sunday. The C-17 aircraft, carrying 116 illegal immigrants from India, landed at the airport around 11.35 p.m. on Saturday. Meanwhile, a third batch of 112 Indians living illegally in the US arrived in Amritsar on Sunday.

Out of the 116 illegal Indian immigrants who landed in Amritsar on Saturday, 65 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryna and eight from Gujarat.

In a video shared by SGPC on X, its volunteers can be seen assisting deportees after they land at Amritsar airport.

The SGPC issued a statement condemning US authorities for allegedly not allowing Sikh deportees to wear their turbans.

The SGPC statement came after some visuals appeared on social media showing Sikh deportees without turbans while completing their immigration formalities at the Amritsar airport.

SGPC officials, who were deputed for providing 'langar' and bus service for deportees on Saturday night at the airport, provided 'dastar' (turban) to Sikh deportees.

US officials asked to remove turbans, Sikh deportee claims

One of the Sikh deportees claimed that when they entered US illegally, they were asked to remove their turbans, reported PTI.

It is a matter of regret that deportees were brought in shackles and Sikh deportees were not wearing turbans, Gurcharan Singh Grewal told PTI.