'Gurdwara is open to all': UK Gurdwara strongly condemns Indian envoy's denial of entry

Glasgow Gurdwara entry row: After an Indian envoy was blocked from entering the Glasgow Gurdwara, the Gurdwara authorities strongly condemned the incident and called out the "disorderly behaviour." The Gurdwara also stated that it is open to people of all communities and backgrounds.

Condemning the incident, the Glasgow Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Sabha stated "An incident occurred on 29 September 2023 at Glasgow Gurdwara where the Indian High Commissioner was on a personal visit, facilitated by a member of Scottish Parliament. Certain unknown individuals from outside the Glasgow area attempted to disrupt this visit, following which the visiting party decided to leave the premises."

"Glasgow Gurdwara strongly condemns such disorderly behaviour to disrupt the peaceful proceedings of a Sikh place of worship," the statement continued.

"After the departure of the visitors, these unruly individuals continued to disturb the Gurdwara congregation. Police Scotland was in attendance thereafter and have taken cognizance of the matter," the statement further read.

Indian High Commissioner stopped from entering Gurdwara

Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami was restricted from entering a gurdwara in Glasgow, Scotland on September 29. The development comes amid the India-Canada Diplomatic Tensions which strained as a result of the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In a video, which is doing rounds on the Internet, a man was seen blocking Doraiswami from entering the Glasgow Gurdwara on Albert Drive. In the video, man was heard saying, “…They are hurting Sikhs in Canada and other places, every Sikh should protest against any Indian Ambassador like we did here in Glasgow.”

The youth also claims that there is an ongoing ban on Indian officials visiting the Gurdwara in their official capacities. The video further shows the visuals in which, two men can be seen near the High Commissioner’s car in the parking area. One of them is seen attempting to open the car door, which has been locked from the inside. The purported video then shows the high commissioner’s car leaving the gurdwara premises.

The video then shows another man speaking to the camera that this is how any Indian ambassador or any Indian government official who visits the Gurdwara will be treated.

India’s reaction to the incident

After the Indian High Commissioner was blocked from entering a gurdwara in Scotland, India released a strong statement on Saturday, calling the incident "disgraceful." India also said that the matter has been reported to the UK government as well as the police.

According to a press release from the High Commission of India, London, “three persons deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organized by the Gurudwara Committee for the community, the High Commissioner and the Consul General of India on Friday (September 29, 2023). This interaction was to discuss community and consular issues.”

The organizers were also threatened and abused by these elements, the release added.

"The High Commission of India has reported this disgraceful incident to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Metropolitan Police. Multiple community organizations including the organizers have formally regretted the incident and have urged the authorities to take action against the culprits," the statement further said.

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