Punjab frowns on Canada move to ban religious symbols

The Punjab assembly Friday passed a resolution criticising a move by the government of Quebec province in Canada to ban religious symbols.

The resolution urged the government of India to take up the matter with the Canadian government, saying the move would affect people of all religions including Sikhs.

The resolution was moved by ruling Shiromani Akali Dal legislator Daljeet Singh Cheema.

Canada has a sizeable population of Punjabis and Sikhs.

Cheema said the provincial government in Quebec is proposing to bring a bill to ban all religious symbols, making it mandatory for government and public sector employees, health workers, school teachers and public day care workers to leave their religious symbols at home before going to work.

He said that under the proposed citizen charter, Sikhs, Muslims and Jews would be barred from wearing religious symbols including turbans, burqas, kirpans and large size crucifixes at their place of work.

He said that the move by the Quebec authorities was political in nature as they want to influence the natives of the place who form a vote bank.