An incident that reportedly took place at a Zudio outlet in Imphal, Manipur, shows a heated argument that broke out between two Sikh men and the store manager. The now viral clip shows the store security personnel asking the two men to leave their ‘kirpans’ outside the premises. However, the men refused to do so and questioned whether the store was located in India.
Eventually the store manager was called and the two men argued that the Indian Constitution permits Sikhs to practise their religion and carry kirpans as part of their faith.
The video was first uploaded on a YouTube channel named Prabh Singh Talk. Its thumbnail read, “We are being harassed in India. Sikh banned in Zudio?” However, the video has drawn mixed responses.
Several users supported the store management, stating that full-sized swords could intimidate customers and staff. Some argued that while the Constitution allows Sikhs to carry a kirpan as a religious symbol, security restrictions may apply in certain public spaces.
“Religious freedom cannot be used to justify intimidation,” another user reacted, and said that misuse of such provisions could invite action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita