Indian-American Sikh Republican Party leader Harmeet Kaur Dhillon on Monday recited ‘ardas’ at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in the presence of the party’s presidential nominee Donald Trump, sparking controversy on social media.
Dhillon, a civil rights attorney and Republican Party leader led the Sikh prayer, traditionally offered by the Sikh community before any new endeavour to thank God and seek protection and help in upholding values such as humility, truth, and justice for all.
“We recite the ardas prayer before any new endeavour, giving thanks to God and asking for his protection and help to uphold the values of humility, truth, courage, service, and justice for all,” noted Dhillon.
A video posted by the California Republican Party showed Dhillon, 55, expressing her honour in sharing the Sikh prayer with her fellow Republicans and guests. Through her prayer, Dhillon thanked God for protecting Trump’s life and highlighted his tireless and uplifting spirit.
“Dear Waheguru, our one true God, we thank you for creating America as a unique heaven on this Earth, where all people are free to worship according to their faith. We seek your blessings and guidance for our beloved country. Please bless our people with wisdom as they vote for the upcoming election and please bless with humility, honesty, skill, and integrity all those who conduct the election", said the Republican Party leader.
"These last 48 hours have been some of the most intense, yet more prayerful of our lives, the heinous attack on President Trump and his supporters made all of us pause and seek answers in comfort", also stated Dhillon.
Social media meltdown
Dhillon's prayer has, however, sparked controversy on social media, drawing criticism from certain users who deemed it "anti-Christian" and "blasphemous". Notably, the core republican base comprises conservatives and the 'ardas' recital didn't sit well with them.
Social media users took to microblogging site X, lashing out at the Republican party leader.
A certain BehizyTweets posted on X, "ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I have nothing but respect for Harmeet Dhillon but fire whoever invited her to pray to a foreign god, there is only one true God we pray to and his name is not whatever she said. His name is YAHWEH and his only begotten Son is Jesus Christ".
Another user, JNationalist1, posted, "RNC 2024: ends with a Sikh witchcraft ritual. DNC 2020: Ends with a prayer in Jesus’s name".
X user YearOfTheKraken termed it a "blasphemous meltdown".
Nevertheless, despite facing some criticism for her non-Christian prayer, shortly after Dhillon expressed she "felt warmly welcomed on the GOP's significant night", as cited by the New York Post.
In her interaction with the Post, she noted, "It was silent. People bowed their heads. It was very respectful...And when I left the stage, I was hugged and people took selfies with me. Not a single word of criticism inside the room".
Dhillon later took to microblogging site X, expressing her gratitude to the people for "understanding the power of faith".
"Thank you to all the people who understand the power of faith & the importance of growing the Republican Party’s appeal. It was an honor to share the Sikh prayers ", she wrote.
Pro-Khalistani sentiments
Dhillon has a history of expressing pro-Khalistani views. She has publicly accused the Indian government of targeting Khalistani figures like Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Additionally, she has raised concerns about alleged actions against pro-Khalistani individuals outside India, contributing to ongoing controversy and scrutiny regarding her political positions and statements.
From Chandigarh to California
Dhillon, born in a Sikh family in Chandigarh and immigrated to the US, has experience working on intellectual property, unfair competition, civil rights, employment discrimination, and other legal matters. She owns a law firm and has also previously served as a lawyer for Trump. She also co-chairs the Women for Trump organisation and has held the position of vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party.
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