Sikh MP defends Muslims

LONDON: A Sikh lawmaker was applauded in the UK Parliament when he demanded that Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologise for his racist remarks regarding burqa-clad Muslim women.

Sikh Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi delivered an impassioned on the floor of the UK Parliament, confronting Boris Johnson over his comments in a 2018 newspaper article in which he compared Muslim women wearing burqas to letterboxes and bank-robbers.

Dhesi, who defended minority people's right to wear what they choose to, was applauded by members of the opposition for his stance on the issue.

"Mr Speaker, if I decide to wear a turban or you decide to wear a cross or he decides to wear a kippah or a skullcap or she decides to wear a hijab or a burqa, does that mean it is open season for Right Honourable Members of this House to make derogatory and divisive remarks about our appearance?" Dhesi said on the floor of the UK parliament.

"Rather than hide behind the sham and whitewash investigaitons when will the Prime Minister finally apologise for his derogatory and racist remarks?" he asked, with chants supporting the Labour lawmaker.

Dhesi's stance was supported widely on social media as well, with Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, also sharing the video on his Twitter account to his 2 million followers.