Hundreds of angry members of Kashmiri and Sikh community based in the United States held a large protest as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the UN Summit on Sustainable Development.
The Sikhs and Kashmiris based in the United States of America staged the protest as the Indian leader spoke at the Summit held to adopt post 2015 Global Development Agenda.
Over 150 Heads of States and Government were attending the event at the UN Headquarters that was also addressed by Pope Francis.
The Kashmiri community in its protest drew the attention of the world community over their plight and the gross human rights violations by the Indian authorities.
“It is time to remind the world leaders that Kashmir is recognised by the United Nations as a disputed territory whose status is yet to be determined,” a statement from the Kashmir Mission in US said.
“Because of the obduracy of India to give the people of Kashmir the right of self determination, Kashmir has become the largest military concentration in the world,” the statement said.
The Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) said it would “approach” Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on the issue of the Sikhs rights during the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly.
The Sikh group has been campaigning for the right to vote in the year 2020 on the question: “Should the territory of Punjab, currently occupied by India, be an independent country?”
Carrying banners stating “India denies Sikhs language, religion”, “Sikh Referendum 2020 – For Self Determination”, the community raised slogans against the Indian government . Meanwhile the US-based Sikh rights group also filed a lawsuit in a court in California seeking to block the public address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Silicon Valley on September 27. The lawsuit filed by Sikh For Justice (SFJ) alleges forcible conversions in India and claims that the public reception for Modi would be used as an occasion to incite violence particularly forced religious conversions, news reports said.