AMRITSAR: A US-based Sikh group has welcomed President Barack Obama's reminder to India about the importance of religious freedom. The Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which had recently campaigned asking Obama to raise the issue of amendment in the Article 25 (B) of the Indian Constitution, commended his stance on chances of India being splintering on religious lines if it continued to deny religious freedom to the minorities.

In a press release issued on Thursday, SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun stated, "We respect the invaluable lesson on religious freedom to India by President Obama and commend him for being the voice of the American Sikhs, who had urged him through online petition to raise the issue of labeling of Sikhs as Hindus under Article 25 (B)."

"Paying heed to President Obama's hard-hitting lesson on religious freedom, India must ensure that Sikhs of Punjab are granted the opportunity to exercise right to self determination through referendum. As a distinct religious minority, exercising the right to self determination is vital for Sikhs to freely profess, practise and propagate their religion," added Pannun.