7 months ago
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Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal connected Sunday (October 5, 2025) appealed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to instrumentality up the contented of prohibition connected beards successful the U.S. Army with the Trump medication to guarantee that Sikhs tin signifier their religion without immoderate discrimination.
Mr. Badal was reacting to U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's caller connection connected subject grooming policy, which restricts beards successful the subject and allows exceptions lone for elite peculiar forces.
Sikhs each implicit the satellite are profoundly anguished and acrophobic implicit the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth's statement, efficaciously banning beards for Sikhs serving successful the US defence forces.
On behalf of each Sikhs worldwide , I person written to outer affairs minister…
In a missive to Mr. Jaishankar, Mr. Badal said Sikhs each implicit the satellite are profoundly anguished and acrophobic implicit Mr. Hegseth's connection and are hoping for an aboriginal solution of the issue.
He urged the curate to instrumentality up the contented astatine an due level to guarantee this discriminatory determination is not implemented and Sikhs are allowed to signifier their religion arsenic before.
Mr. Badal said the determination goes against the rule of state to signifier one's religion — a cornerstone of U.S. democracy.
He said the U.S. authorities categorically acknowledged the close of the Sikh members of the U.S. equipped forces to sphere their outer symbols of spiritual identity, including turban and beard, allowing a plea by Sikh officers Capt. Simran Preet Singh Lamba and Dr. Maj. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi successful 2010.
