Question : PROTEST BY INDIANS IN FRANCE

(a)whether the Government is aware of the growing resentment and protests by the Sikh community in France over the proposed ban on wearing their religious headgear (Turban);

(b)if so, the reaction of the Government in this regard; and

(c)the steps proposed to be taken by the Union Government to take up the matter with the concerned French authorities?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DIGVIJAY SINGH)

(a) Yes.

(b)&(c) French Government has been sensitized to our concerns in this regard both in New Delhi and in Paris. Indian Embassy in Paris is also interacting with representatives of the Sikh community and the French Government with a view to resolving this issue.