‘Forced’ conversion of girls: Sikh delegation meets DGP, asks J&K politicians to speak against it | India News

AMBALA: In connection with the alleged cases of ‘kidnapping and forcible conversion’ of two Sikh girls in Srinagar, the Sikh delegation led by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa voiced out his concern in the valley on the second day as well.
As per the available information, two Sikh girls have recently been forcibly converted to Islam.
One of them, aged 18 and specially-abled, was married to a 62-year-old man.
The Sikh delegation also met Jammu & Kashmir director general of police (DGP) Dilbag Singh with regards to this situation.
Sirsa said the J&K DGP assured him that the girls would be returned to the family soon.

Earlier in the day, Sirsa also reached out to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention in the case. The home minister told Sira that he’s monitoring the case closely.

The Sikh community in Srinagar held strong protests on Saturday night demanding the custody of the girl who was allowed to meet her parents after the administration got involved in the matter.
However, the whereabouts of the second girl are still unknown and the police claim that no case has been filed by the community.
Sources in Srinagar told that the first girl’s custody has been given to the Sikh community. As per the protocol, she is still not with her parents and is being counselled by the community.
Sirsa said, “A case has been registered against the accused 62-year-old man who forcibly married the girl and he has been arrested on Saturday night itself. The community is following up the case and seeking strict action.”
“The Sikh community, in entirety and at the valley, stands for the brotherhood with the Muslim community but such people should be strongly condemned and boycotted by either side who commit serious crimes like forcible conversion.”
“The politicians of the valley should stand with the Sikh community and speak out against this crime. I want to ask why the leaders of the majority here including Abdullah Ji, Muftis, Maulanas and Ghulam Nabi Azad Sahib are silent, who should have come forward by now and taken up the issue of Sikhs in Srinagar as their own. Whatever happened here is a grave sin.”
Meanwhile, various Kashmiri leaders condemned the incident on Twitter.
Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the J&K Peoples Democratic Party, said she is “disturbed” and asked the authorities to quickly investigate the matter.

Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Omar Abdullah condemned the incident and asked authorities to hand out punishment to the guilty.

The mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Azim Mattu, asked authorites to address the grievances of the Sikh community.