New York, United States (September 10, 2014): According to media reports more than one hundred Sikh Organisations operating in the US have formed an alliance to picket the White House where US President Barack Obama will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for wide- ranging talks on September 29 and 30, a New York-based Sikh body announced on Monday (Sept. 8).
Earlier in the day, the White House issued a statement, saying “both leaders will discuss a range of issues of mutual interest in order to expand and deepen the US-India strategic partnership.”
At the call of SFJ, the press release said, representatives of Sikhs organisations from across the US gathered in New Jersey to devise a strategy for staging a protest against President Obama’s decision to host Indian Prime minister, saying the move violated the US laws. It was pointed out that Washington denied Modi’s visa under International Religious Freedom Act due to his involvement in the massacre of Muslims.
“The landslide electoral victory of the Modi’s ultra nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has posed an existential threat to the already marginalized religious minorities in India,” SFJ said. “While declaring Sikhs as part of Hindu religion, BJP-RSS have announced the launching of “Shudhi” campaign from December 23 for forcible conversion of Christians and Muslims into Hinduism,” according to the press release.
SFJ’s legal advisor, attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, said that on September 30, the Sikh community will gather in thousands reminding President Obama that upholding the religious freedom principle of US constitution is more important than signing business deals with those who pose threat to religious minorities.
“While Modi is infamous for his role in 2002 massacre, his party BJP is notorious for participating in the attacks on places of worships belong to minorities, starting with the instigating Army invasion of the Golden Temple in 1984, carrying out demolition of Babari Masjid in 1992 and burning of Christian churches in Orissa during 2008,” said Dr. Pritpal Singh.