Hundreds of angry Muslim residents targetted the Gurdwara and surrounded it threatening to destroy the structure (Photo Credit: Twitter @mssirsa)
New Delhi:
An angry mob of local residents resorted to stone pelting at Nankana Sahib Gurdwara on Friday evening. As per early reports, hundreds of angry Muslim residents targetted the Gurdwara and surrounded it threatening to destroy the structure. The reports said that the mob was led by the family of Mohammad Ehsaan, the boy who allegedly abducted and converted Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur, who is the daughter of the gurdwara's pathi.
The violent mob finally dispersed after police released Ehsaan, the man who had allegedly abducted the Sikh girl.
#WATCH An angry mob shouts anti-Sikh slogans outside Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab. Earlier stones were pelted at the Gurdwara led by the family of a boy who had allegedly abducted a Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur, daughter of the Gurdwara's pathi. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/xyNkhsrhR9
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2020
In a video, said to be recorded at the site of the protest, one of the protesters was seen saying that locals were against the presence of the gurdwara there. One man, said to be the brother of Ehsaan, said they will not let any Sikh live there and will soon change the name of the place from Nankana Sahib to Ghulamaan-e-Mustafa. Police arrived to control mob almost 2 hours now after the situation escalated.
"We will not let any Sikh live in Nankana Sahib, and will change its name to Ghulam Ali Mustafa," says a protester #Pakistan
— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) January 3, 2020
Read full story: https://t.co/K6n56Za60W pic.twitter.com/pClfgPCLxS
Delhi MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa also tweeted an alleged video of the incident. He also urged Pakistan PM Imran Khan to take immediate action against such communal incidents.
LIVE Footage from Nankana Sahib where an angry Muslim mob is outside Gurdwara Sahib and raising anti-Sikh slogans
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) January 3, 2020
I urge @ImranKhanPTI Ji to take immediate action on such communal incidents that are increasing the insecurity in the minds of Sikhs of Pak@thetribunechd @PTI_News pic.twitter.com/IlxxBjhpO2
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also tweeted and asked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to "immediately intervene to ensure that the devotees stranded in Gurdwara Nankana Sahib are rescued and the historic Gurdwara is saved from the angry mob surrounding it."
The incident comes on the backdrop of an ongoing debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India, which extends Indian citizenship to minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. This incident is sure to be taken up by supporters of the Act as an example of how religious minorities are being treated in Pakistan.
