The absence of the Sikh regiment, the most decorated regiment of the Indian Army, from the Republic Day Parade this year has caused a political furore in India.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal regreted its absence from the Republic Day parade, while the opposition Congress termed it a "grave omission".
Describing the absence of the Sikh regiment from the Republic Day parade as "sad and regrettable", Badal has urged the central government to issue necessary instructions and guidelines to ensure that the regiment is never kept out of the parades in future.
In a letter to the Prime Minister of India, Narinder Modi, Badal said it had caused "a widespread feeling of hurt and resentment".
French President François Hollande was the chief guest at this year's Republic Day Parade.
"As a vibrant and fiercely patriotic minority community in the country, the Sikhs are always seen as the most powerful symbol of this multi-dimensional identity and secular character of the country," said Mr. Badal
"They have made unparalleled sacrifices not only for the freedom of the country but also for defending that freedom against foreign aggression. They have a strong presence in the armed forces and their patriotic and martial traditions are something on which the entire country rightly takes pride."
He said the exclusion of the Sikh regiment from the parade would be regrettable at any time but it was doubly so this year because of the presence of the French president as a special guest at the event.
"The Sikhs have been facing several practices in France which amount to the denial of freedom to observe the fundamental religious practices to the community, including a ban on the wearing of turbans one of the five symbols of their religion "
Regretting the absence of Sikh regiment, PCC president Amarinder Singh dubbed it as a "grave omission" particularly when President of France, where turban is banned in public places, was the chief guest.
"There could not have been a better occasion to convey the importance of the turban to him," Singh said.
Ruing the state government's "failure" to send its contingent to represent the glorious culture of the state at the parade, Amarinder said, "The Akalis actually have no idea about the significance and importance of such occasions."
Sikh religious organisations such as Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management have also expressed thier resentment. DSGMC has also reportedly writted to India's defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, to lodge a protest.
