Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi/ Rupert Lowe / X/ Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi/ Rupert Lowe

A contentious debate has ignited in Britain regarding the kirpan, a ceremonial blade significant to the Sikh community, following demands for a ban in the wake of the tragic murder of a British-Polish teenager.

As calls grow for a ban, Sikh lawmakers have accused right-wing groups of scapegoating an entire community over the actions of one individual.

Also Read: Man claming abuse over Sikh identity convicted for killing UK student

The controversy centers on the killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a British-Polish student at the University of Southampton, who was fatally stabbed in December 2025 by Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh who was this week sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.

I was born and raised here. Countless brave Sikh soldiers died for Britain, proudly wearing their turban and kirpan.

Thankfully, Rupert and Restore don't get to decide what is British.

Beware … today they’re coming for me, but tomorrow it could be you! https://t.co/svfzLoZ07L

— Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (@TanDhesi) June 2, 2026

The conviction has sparked a wider debate over the kirpan, one of the five articles of faith carried by initiated Sikhs, after Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe called for the ceremonial blade to be banned in public spaces.

Indian-origin Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi strongly rejected the proposal, accusing Lowe and other right-wing figures of using the crime to target the wider Sikh community.

"I was born and raised here. Countless brave Sikh soldiers died for Britain, proudly wearing their turban and kirpan," Dhesi wrote on X.

"Thankfully, Rupert and Restore don't get to decide what is British. Beware … today they're coming for me, but tomorrow it could be you!"

Dhesi's comments came after Lowe defended Restore Britain's campaign against the kirpan.

"Under a Restore Britain Government, all will be equal. Un-British religious practices will not be tolerated or accepted. Enough is enough."

Lowe also called for the deportation of individuals linked to the case, writing: "Any Indian who covered up for Vickrum Digwa must be immediately deported."

The issue was debated in the House of Commons this week, where Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended the rights of Sikhs to carry the kirpan and warned against collective blame.

"There have been calls to limit the right of Sikhs to carry their ceremonial knife, the kirpan, one of the five holy items in their faith," Mahmood told Parliament.

The home secretary pointed to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, which clarified and strengthened existing legal protections relating to kirpans, and warned against allowing the murder to divide communities.

"We do not believe in collective punishment in this country. Instead, we stand together against an act of pure evil. We condemn those who committed this heinous crime, not all those who share their faith or their ethnicity," she said.

During the debate, Dhesi condemned Reform UK and Restore Britain for "scapegoating and throwing under the bus an entire community based on the actions of one violent murderer."

He said the indignity suffered by Nowak in his final moments "should never happen again" but criticized attempts to politicize the case and associate the actions of one individual with the broader Sikh community.

Dhesi also referenced the history of Sikh soldiers fighting alongside British troops in both World Wars while wearing turbans and kirpans, arguing that the article of faith has long been part of Britain's history.

Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan also condemned the killing and said there was "simply no religious justification for these actions," a view he said was shared across the Sikh community.

The kirpan is one of the five articles of faith worn by initiated Sikhs and symbolizes a commitment to justice and the protection of the vulnerable. British law provides exemptions allowing Sikhs to carry the ceremonial blade for religious purposes.

Community leaders have also sought to distance the Sikh faith from the crime. The Council of Southampton Gurdwaras issued a statement expressing solidarity and prayers for Nowak's family and said Digwa's actions were "in direct contradiction to Sikh teachings and values that have guided Sikh communities for more than five centuries, including in Britain for over 150 years."

Discover more at New India Abroad.