Sikh body demands minority status for the community in Jammu Kashmir

Srinagar, June 11: Hoping that the BJP-led NDA government will resolve the "pending issues" related to the Sikh residents of Jammu and Kashmir, an organisation representing the community here today said that the Centre should grant minority status to them.

"We hope that the NDA government will solve the pending issues of the Sikh community of Jammu and Kashmir and grant minority status to the community," Chairman of All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement here.

"It is good that the new government has started taking steps to solve the problems of various communities living in the country. It must be kept in mind by decision-takers that members of the Sikh community have been fighting hard for their rights and their problems too need to be addressed at the earliest," he said.

"The Sikh community should be granted the status of a minority community since they very much fall under the provisions set out in this regard. The Minority Act as framed by the National Commission for Minorities should be extended to the state without any dilution whatsoever," he said.

"In case there is any dilution to the Minority Act, the members of the Sikh community will come out and lodge strong protests in support of their genuine demands...we will not desist from carrying out a full-fledged agitation," he said.

PTI