Punjab political party Shiromani Akali Dal spokesman and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK was attacked by a mob at the Yuba City Gurdwara in California on Saturday. This attack follows an incident where he was harassed in New York a week ago.
The attackers allegedly pushed Singh to the ground, causing his turban to fall off. Singh’s face was also blackened, agencies reported. The DSGMC chief recalled the incident and said that a group of over 20 people had attacked him. Three people have been arrested in connection with the attack.
"I was attacked by 20 to 25 people. I was here at the gurdwara for paying my respects. These people did not even uphold the dignity of a gurdwara. I told my aides to not say a word and maintain peace. We will not be cowed down by all this (such attacks). I was first attacked in New York and then in California. I am not scared of these people, and I am safe," he said in a video.
Indian Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal termed the incident as "cowardly" and tweeted, “The dastardly attack on S. Manjit Singh GK was not an attack on an individual but on the Dastar of a Sikh. It was an attack by agents of ISI on a party that is fighting the battle of justice for Sikhs. @SushmaSwaraj ji please take it up seriously with the US government.”
This is the second such attack on Singh last week. Last Monday, the DSGMC chief and his family were allegedly attacked by Khalistan sympathisers at a TV studio in New York, following which he appealed to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help and demanded action.
Describing the attack in a video, which he posted on his Twitter handle, Singh revealed, "When I was coming out after giving an interview to Jus Punjabi for the show 'Ajj Da Mudda', my brother and sister-in-law were with me. There were around 7-8 youths in an inebriated state, under the influence of alcohol or some drugs. They were wearing earrings and had their hair shorn. Out of those, 1-2 boys were Sikhs, who were wearing patkas."
"A group of people attacked me & my relatives in #NewYork. This will not scare me away from my path to serve the community. I have fought & I will fight till my last breath.Such cowardly incidents do not scare me," read the tweet.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal condemned the attacks and called them unfortunate.