Sharm-el-Sheikh, July 17: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said he had taken up with French President Nicolas Sarkozy the issue of a ban on Sikh students wearing turbans in in that country, but was assured there is no such prohibition on the community.
“When I talked to Sarkozy, I gave him a non-paper memorandum (non-official document) on how to address the problem,” Singh told reporters here.
Sarkozy maintained that there was no ban on Sikhs wearing turban, the Prime Minister said.
Singh, who was Chief Guest at the French National Day, had a working lunch with Sarkozy on Tuesday during which he discussed bilateral issues.
France had in 2004 imposed a ban under which students from Sikh and other communities were prohibited from wearing religious symbols, which includes turbans, in schools.
The Sikhs, whose number is around 6,000 in France, have been protesting against the rule.
–Agencies