Sikh student stopped from skating program in Patiala without helmet

The SGPC has taken a strong note of an incident in which a Sikh child, Riazpreet Singh, was allegedly not allowed to participate in a skating competition for not wearing a helmet. The Sikh body has sought the re-scheduling of the competition, which was held recently in a Patiala school.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said a delegation of the SGPC would meet the family of the young skater at his native Banwala village to prepare a comprehensive report on the incident.

Jarnail Singh Kartarpur, the manager and preacher at Patiala’s Dukhniwaran Sahib Gurdwara, will be a part of the delegation, Dhami said. He said the episode was a direct challenge to the Sikh identity.

“As the incident occurred during a competition held in a government school, the CM Bhagwant Mann and Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer should tender an apology, besides taking action against the management responsible,” Dhami said.