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| - Fact Check: Rashtrapati Bhavan DIDN'T remove Sikh guards, baseless claims viral
Neither has the Indian Army denied leaves of absence to Sikh soldiers, nor have Sikh security personnel at the Rashtrapati Bhavan been replaced in the aftermath of Justin Trudeau's allegations against India.
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India Today Fact Check
Both claims are baseless. A Defence Ministry spokesperson and the President of India’s PA confirmed this to India Today.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation of a potential link between the Indian government and the killing of the Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June has led to a series of diplomatic escalations, with each nation expelling the other’s envoys. However, on social media, rumours of domestic repercussions against Sikhs are also spreading like wildfire.
Twitter users claimed that following Trudeau’s explosive allegation, the Indian Army started denying leaves to Sikh soldiers. People also claimed that Sikh security personnel at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President of India’s official residence, have also been replaced.
Several Pakistani Twitter users shared these allegations. The archived version of one such post can be seen here.
India Today found that neither has the Indian Army denied leaves of absence to Sikh soldiers nor have Sikh security personnel deployed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan been replaced. A Defence Ministry spokesperson confirmed this to India Today.
BASELESS CLAIMS
Had all Sikh security personnel been removed from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it would have been reported all over the media. However, we couldn’t find any such report.
Tweets making such allegations were posted on September 19, a day when there was a special session at the new Parliament building. Had there been any such development, there would have definitely been a buzz about this in political circles during the session. However, nothing of this sort was reported at all.
OFFICIAL REBUTTAL
The Indian Army rubbished these allegations. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information wrote that such tweets were “fake messages” being spread on social media by “inimical agents about soldiers of the Indian Army, spreading rumours and hate-mongering”. The tweet asked the public to safeguard itself against “such fake news”.
The Press Information Bureau also clarified that no such decision has been taken. It noted that such baseless allegations were “shared with the intention to create disharmony”.
India Today also reached out to President Droupadi Murmu’s PA Suraj Kumar Mahato. He too refuted these allegations, adding that currently there are several Sikh security personnel deployed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Thus, it’s clear that these claims have no basis in fact whatsoever.
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