Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Harsimrat Badal seeks action against Air India staff who allegedly humiliated Sikh passenger
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 28, 2025 – Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu to ensure exemplary punishment for Air India staff members who allegedly humiliated and insulted a Sikh passenger. She further stressed the need to sensitise airline staff not to target articles of faith of passengers.
In a letter to the Union Minister, the Bathinda MP stated that a Sikh passenger, Jeewan Singh from Tamil Nadu, was allegedly humiliated and insulted by Air India staffers at New Delhi International Airport while he was scheduled to board a flight to Singapore on Wednesday.
According to Badal, Jeewan Singh, who embraced Sikhism in 2023 and sports an unshorn beard, was allegedly harassed on the basis of his appearance, which did not meet the approval of certain staff members.
She said the staffers, in violation of rules and regulations, allegedly asked inappropriate questions such as: “Why are you going to Singapore? How much money do you have in hand? Show your bank account details. Why are you wearing a turban? From which caste did you convert to Sikhism?”
Asserting that such questions were unprofessional and discriminatory, the MP demanded a thorough probe into the incident and strict punishment for those responsible for hurting the religious sentiments of Jeewan Singh and subjecting him to alleged harassment.
Badal also requested the minister to direct Air India to sensitise its staff about the Sikh community’s articles of faith and include these directions in the airline’s standard operating procedures. She further demanded that Air India issue an unqualified apology to Jeewan Singh to send a clear signal that the alleged conduct of its staff did not reflect the airline’s official position, especially as its mascot is the turbaned Maharaja.