- Saturday, April 27, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA on Tuesday (30) escalated the incident of a Pakistani model’s photoshoot at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur at the diplomatic level by summoning the Charge d’Affaires at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and expressing deep concern over the episode which it called a “desecration” of the sanctity of the holy place.
India described the incident as “reprehensible” and said it expects the Pakistani side to “sincerely investigate” the matter and take action against those at fault.
ALSO READ: Sikh pilgrims elated as Kartarpur corridor reopens
On Monday (29), the “bareheaded” photoshoot of Pakistani model Sauleha for a clothing brand of that country at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib set the social media abuzz with many accusing her of hurting the Sikh community’s religious sentiments.
Kartarpur corridor to reopen, Punjab leaders thank Modi
Modelling bareheaded for ladies' attire, in the premises of Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib at #KartarpurSahib in Pakistan, by a Lahorite woman, has several hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs. Further the pictures were uploaded on social media.@ImranKhanPTI @MORAisbOfficial pic.twitter.com/i5RX01kWGo
— Ravinder Singh Robin ਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ رویندرسنگھ روبن (@rsrobin1) November 29, 2021
The model, who is from Lahore, later deleted her pictures at the shrine from her Instagram account and apologised for her act saying it was unintentional but not many were convinced.
Arindam Baghchi, the spokesperson of India’s external affairs ministry said while responding to a media query on the matter, “Pakistani Charge d’Affaires was summoned today to convey our deep concern at the incident of desecration of the sanctity of Gurudwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur by a Pakistani model and a clothing brand.”
He said the Pakistani envoy was told that the “reprehensible” incident has deeply hurt the Sikhs in India and abroad.
“Such continued incidents of desecration and disrespect of places of religious worship of the minority communities in Pakistan highlight the lack of respect for the faith of these communities,” he said.
“It was further conveyed that we expect Pakistani authorities to sincerely investigate this matter and take action against those involved,” Bagchi added.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, which is located in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province is about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur in Indian Punjab. It is the final resting place of Sikh religion’s founder Guru Nanak Dev, who had spent the last 18 years of his life in Kartarpur.
In November 2019, India and Pakistan threw open the Kartarpur corridor linking Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur with the Gurdwara in Kartarpur. Recently, the political leaders of Punjab lauded the Narendra Modi government for reopening the corridor on November 17, a couple of days ahead of Guru Nanak’s 552nd birth anniversary, which was shut since May 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
