Who are the Sikh businessmen defending RSS chief’s visit to London gurdwara

Two Sikh businessmen, Peter Virdee and Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, defended the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Khalsa Jatha British Isles Gurdwara in London on September 6. The visit has sparked debate among the Sikh community, with critics questioning Bhagwat's visit to the shrine. Virdee and Sahney argue that a gurdwara is open to everyone and that welcoming a visitor should not be seen as endorsing the RSS or its ideology.

Sahney, a Padma Shri awardee and Rajya Sabha member, stated that Bhagwat offered prayers and ate Karah Prasad, expressing his "deep anguish" over the outrage expressed by a small section of the community. Virdee, a UK-based businessman and philanthropist, also defended the visit, emphasizing that the Guru's door is open to all and that hospitality is not an endorsement.

The controversy surrounding the visit stems from tensions between Sikh religious leadership and the RSS, as well as debates over Sikh identity and the relationship between Sikhism and Hinduism.