Video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mri89qppv51gmla/VRP69157.mp4?dl=0
A group of armed men suspected to be Taliban fighters ransacked a Sikh shrine in Kabul on October 5.
The men were caught on camera rifling through cabinets and drawers in the Karte Parwan Gurdwara, one of the main places of worship for Sikhs in the Afghan capital.
Indian World Forum president Puneet Singh Chandhok, who had helped facilitate the evacuation of Sikhs in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control, said: ‘Unidentified armed forces entered Gurdwara Karte Parwan. They not only abused the sanctity of the holy place but also vandalised it.’
Footage shows the trespassers had also broken several surveillance cameras inside the building.
Taliban officials have denied the group’s involvement in the incident, according to Akali Dal spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
He said: ‘Heavily armed people pretending to be Taliban officials entered Gurdwara Karte Parwan Sahib in Kabul today and broke all CCTV cameras during their search operation. But Taliban leaders in government have refused sending any such officials to Gurdwara.’
Meanwhile, the Indian government said it will assist all Hindu and Sikh minorities who want to leave Afghanistan.