Nankana Sahib attack: VHP urges UNHRC to take cognizance, slams Pakistan

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday strongly condemned the attack on Pakistan's Nankana Sahib Gurdwara and urged the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to take cognizance of the incident. It also raised the plight of religious minorities in India's neighbourhood, and proposed a separate law for Sri Lankan Tamils as well, if the need arises. The Citizenship Amendment Act currently provides citizenship to minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The VHP labelled Friday's attack on Nankana Sahib shrine as well as the alleged abduction of the daughter of the Granthi as "burning example of the atrocities against the Hindu and Sikh minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh." 

"It is important (to note) that the attack has come right after the Friday prayers in the mosque," it added.

The RSS-affiliate organisation called on the Centre to raise the incident with UNHRC in a bid to pressurize the Pakistan government to "mend its ways and return the Sikh girl".

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Nankana Sahib attacked

On Friday, a video of a mob of 400 people pelting stones in the Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan surfaced. Visuals showed the mob surrounding the Gurudwara and pelting stones at the site which is the birthplace of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak Dev. Sources reported that the mob was led by Mohammed Imran Attari – the brother of Mohammed Hassan who was responsible for the forcible conversion of a Pakistani Sikh girl named Jagjit Kaur. No arrests have been made till now.

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MEA slams Pakistan

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs slammed Pakistan over the incident saying that it condemns such "wanton acts of destruction and desecration" of Nankana Sahib Gurudwara. "We call upon the government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of the members of the Sikh community," it added.

READ | BJP On Nankana Sahib Incident: 'Pakistan Now Proves CAA Is Right, Timely'

Pakistan denies charge, spins a new story

Meanwhile, Pakistan rejected reports that the Gurdwara near Lahore was desecrated by certain groups saying that the scuffle happened on a minor incident at a tea-stall and the district administration immediately intervened and arrested the accused. "Attempts to paint this incident as a communal issue are patently motivated. Most importantly, the Gurdwara remains untouched and undamaged. All insinuations to the contrary, particularly the claims of acts of ‘desecration and destruction’ and desecration of the holy place, are not only false but also mischievous,” said Pakistan's Foreign Office.

(With agency inputs)

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