Denied entry with kirpan, Sikh priest moves court

The head granthi of the Gurdwara Janamsthan in the Nankana Sahib area, who happens to be a Pakistani national, has decided to file a writ petition against Lahore high court security personnel after he was stopped from entering the court premises with his kirpan, the ceremonial Sikh sword.

Ajeet Singh, who had gone to meet his lawyer at the court on Wednesday, exchanged angry words with guards after he was asked to remove his ‘kirpaan’ at the entrance. But he refused and eventually left without going inside and meeting his lawyer.

A security official at the court said the guards had been instructed not to let anyone enter with weapons, including blades. He said even policemen had to remove their weapons at the security posts at all four entry points of the court. But Singh protested that a Sikh could not ever remove his ‘kirpaan’ and forcing him would be asking him to violate his own religion.

“I cannot part with my kirpan as according to my religion it is part of my body,” he said.

“I do no take it off while sleeping or bathing. How can they force me to remove it? I will file a writ petition against this behaviour of the security personnel.” Singh said even the most security-conscious countries had accepted that Sikhs could carry the ceremonial swords with them.

“Sikhs carry their kirpaans even in airplanes. I entered the White House with my kirpaan and no one considered it a security threat.”
Singh had gone to Lahore high court to file a petition to stop his removal as head granthi of Gurdwara Janamsthan. A security official at the court said no Sikh had been stopped before from entering the premises with his kirpan.