The Indian embassy in Washington is now going to take up the issue of a Sikh state trooper’s request to grow a beard being denied with the senior administration in the USA. The incident took place in the state of New York when Charanjot Tiwana, a state trooper, sought permission to grow a beard. His request was denied citing safety protocols.
Charanjot wanted to grow his beard for his marriage which was in March last year. The Biden administration is facing backlash after the incident and the lawmakers are concerned about it. They see this as a case of religious discrimination.
The police department on the other hand highlighted safety precautions behind the denial of request. They said that keeping a beard would pose a safety risk in case there is a need to put on a gas mask. The Sikh community forms a huge population in the US and they are not happy about it.
India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh is taking the matter seriously and trying to raise the issue with the Biden administration. The US has always tried hard to show their brand of secularism to the world and therefore incidents like these can potentially tarnish an already tainted image.
