NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2021) The Taliban (terrorist organization, banned in Russia) prohibited 140 Sikhs and Hindu pilgrims from going to India to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Partap Singh, the head of a Sikh temple in New-Dehli said on Thursday.
"400th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur is a lifetime event and millions of Hindus and Sikhs are celebrating the same in a glorified manner. It is sad to note that our brothers and sisters from Afghanistan aren't being allowed for pilgrimage. Each year our Afghan origin community organizes pilgrimage tours to India to visit historical gurdwaras [Sikh temples] in India and this year the visit was well preplanned," Singh said as quoted by India tv broadcaster.
The Sikh community asked the Indian government to facilitate the transportation of pilgrims after the Taliban suspended all commercial flights.
On Tuesday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the movement had blocked the road to the Kabul airport and would not allow anyone except foreign citizens to pass.
Following weeks-long offensive launched after the US started withdrawing forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban entered Kabul on August 15 and caused the civilian government to fall. This prompted thousands of locals to seek escape for fear of reprisals from the militants. Many countries have since started evacuating their diplomatic missions and citizens from the Central Asian nation.
