‘Amend law to give separate religious identity to Sikhs’
NEW DELHI: Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday demanded that Sikhs be given a separate religious identity by amending the Constitution.
Speaking in the Delhi Assembly, Sirsa, an MLA from Rajouri Garden, who contested on the BJP symbol, moved a resolution demanding that the Article 25(2) of the Constitution, which clubs Sikhs with Hindus, should be amended.
Clause 1 of Article 25 gives every person the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion, while clause 2 clubs Sikhs with Hindus, he said on the floor of the House, according to a statement issued by him.
Clause 2 states that the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jain or Buddhist religion.
“This definition relating to Sikhs and other religions as included in the Hindu religion, has lead to unavoidable confusion about the independent identity of these religions, thus defeating the objective of Article 25,” Sirsa said.
The “discrimination” done to Buddhist, Jains and Sikhs should be removed and Parliament should duly amend Article 25 of the Constitution, he said.