Sikh AI Pilot Made To Remove Turban At Madrid Airport; SAD Leader Asks EAM Jaishankar To Take Up Matter With Spain

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over an incident at Madrid Airport in which a Sikh pilot of Air India was told to remove his turban even after clearing the metal detectors, reports ANI.

"I wish to share with you the harassment faced by an Air India official, Captain Simranjeet Singh Gujral, at Madrid airport . He was subjected to racial discrimination because of his turban. The Madrid airport officials demanded him to remove his turban and asked for a manual check-up of his turban which is an offence in the eyes of a Sikh," Sirsa wrote.

The SAD leader stated that this was not the first time that a Sikh person had to face such a situation at Madrid Airport, and that even earlier there were instances where Sikh men were asked to remove their turbans.

Sirsa highlighted the need to raise awareness about this issue at the international level and called up Jaishankar to bring it up specifically with the Spanish government.