JOKE ROW: SIKHS SEEK APOLOGY FROM SINGHVI

The Lucknow Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee on Tuesday convened a special meeting to slam Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who allegedly supported ‘Santa and Banta’ jokes in the Supreme Court when he was asked for his views by the judges on Friday last.

Singhvi had reportedly said that such jokes may not essentially aim at denigrating any community and gave examples of Polish jokes, which are based on many stereotypes about the Polish people.

However, Rajendra Singh Bagga, president, Lucknow Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, said, “31 years ago Congress had killed thousands of Sikhs in Delhi and now it wanted to ridicule the community through jokes.”

He said that Singhvi must apologise or else Sikhs would demonstrate in front of his house in Delhi.

Earlier on several occasions, Sikh groups have approached police seeking ban on such jokes.

In March 2007, a Sikh businessman, Mohinder Nanksingh Kakar, had filed a complaint with police alleging that the feelings of the Sikh community were hurt through jokes.

Following that complaint, a Mumbai-based publisher, Ranjit Parande, was arrested. Parande had published a book on ‘Santa and Banta’ jokes that allegedly carried ‘derogatory’ jokes directed at the Sikh community.

SINGHVI HAD REPORTEDLY SAID THAT ‘SANTA BANTA’ JOKES MAY NOT ESSENTIALLY AIM AT DENIGRATING ANY COMMUNITY AND GAVE EXAMPLES OF POLISH JOKES