AMRITSAR (TIP): Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjeet Singh GK was asked to take off his turban during a security check at the Rome International Airport in Italy on Aug 6. When he refused, he was not allowed to board the flight. DSGMC general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said they had lodged a protest with the Italian Embassy in New Delhi which had assured him of looking into the matter.

He said GK, after missing his 1.20 am (IST) flight today, decided to take the next flight scheduled for 6.30 pm (IST). “But with the Italian Embassy expressing its inability to resolve the issue by then, he will now board a flight tomorrow,” he said. GK had gone to Italy to attend a ‘Dastarbandi Samagam’ (turban tying programme). Reacting to the incident, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said he would soon send a protest letter to the Italian Embassy in New Delhi as well as take up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also said they will dispatch a reminder to British Prime Minister David Cameron, as he had assured the SGPC to take up such issues with member countries of the European Union during his visit to Amritsar some months back.