Minister Hardeep Puri meets family of slain Afghan Sikh, conveys condolences of PM Modi
New Delhi, June 20 :Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri on Monday met with the grieving son of Sardar Savinder Singh, an Afghan Sikh who was killed in the terror attack on the Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul on Saturday and conveyed the condolence message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Minister Puri conveyed condolences to Arjeet Singh, son of Savinder Singh, at a Delhi gurdwara during the Antim Ardas ceremony held in memory of the Afghan Sikh who was killed by Islamic State Khorasan terrorists.
A delegation from the Afghanistan embassy, led by Afghan Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay, was also present at the Antim Ardas held at Gurudwara Guru Arjan Dev ji in Tilak Nagar, and met with the family of the dead Afghan Sikh.
Hardeep Puri, who handed over the condolence letter of PM Modi to the son of Savinder Singh, said in tweets:
“Paid my condolence to Sdr Arjeet Singh Ji, the son of Shaheed Sardar Savinder Singh ji who attained Shaheedi in the cowardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul. Interacted with other members of the bereaved family during the Antim Ardas today.
“Conveyed heartfelt condolence message of PM Sh @narendramodi Ji to members of the Sikh Sangat on the martyrdom of Shaheed Sardar Savinder Singh ji in the dastardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan, Kabul.”
On Sunday, in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Karte Parwan gurdwara in Kabul in which one Afghan Sikh devotee was killed, the Indian government granted visas to 111 Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan on priority.
Senior Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a tweet thanked Home Minister Amit Shah for granting the visas to the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.
The Afghan Ambassador also thanked the Indian government for granting the visas.
“Grateful to the swift response of @MEAIndia by granting E-Visas to Afghan Hindus & Sikhs on priority basis.
“Afghan religious minorities, members of the civil society & Afghan students at Indian Universities require ongoing visas assistance at this critical time,” he tweeted.
Savinder Singh, 60, was a native of Ghazni province in Afghanistan. His family is living in Delhi.
An Afghan security personnel was also killed in the terror attack.