NEW YORK (Staff Report) Different groups of Sikh and the Patel community supporters held demonstration outside the UN headquarters here, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on Sustainable Development at a special UN summit.
Under the banner of Sikhs for Justice, over a thousand Sikhs, alleging human rights violations in Punjab, demanded referendum in 2020 for a separate Khalistan. Members of Sikhs for Justice, Akali Dal Amritsar and United States’ Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees participated in the protest.
The protesters, raising anti-India and anti-Modi slogans, urged the world body to take steps to meet their demand.
“There are massive violations against minorities, in particular against Christians, Sikhs and Muslims,” SFJ leader Bakhshish Singh Sandhu claimed Friday.
“We demand from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to put a ban on Narendra Modi to address the United Nations. He is the killer of thousands of Muslims in his India.”
Sikh leaders Autar Singh Pannu, Boota Singh, Dr. Amerjeet Singh, Dr. Ranjeet Singh and Sarjeet Singh Klar also addressed the protestors.
The protesters carried placards which read “Neo Nazi Modi” and chanted slogans against the Indian prime minister.
Read more: Zakia Jafri fights Narendra Modi in ‘final’ court battle over deadly Gujarat riots
Side by side in a separate enclosure were a few dozen members of the Patidar community from Gujarat who are living in different parts of the country. “We want justice from police brutalities.
“As many as 4,000 youths are still in police custody. There has been police brutality against innocent people. So far no action has been taken against the police officials responsible for this,” one Anil Patel claimed.
Read more: Tension grips Indian Gujarat after Patel caste deadly clashes
The protesters were sporting caps of Sardar Patel Group from Gujarat, which is leading the movement for reservations for the Patel community in the State.
