Sikh man has turban ripped off in racist attack while waiting to meet MP outside Parliament
Police investigating after victim reports being told: 'Muslim go back'
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Police are investigating an alleged racist attack after a Sikh man queuing outside Parliament had his turban ripped from his head.
Ravneet Singh said he was waiting to enter Portcullis House to meet a Labour MP when the assault took place.
The 37-year-old, from Punjab, India, said he was approached as he waited in line by a man who shouted “Muslim go back” before attempting to remove his Sikh head covering.
Speaking to The Independent, Mr Singh said: “I was in the queue outside Portcullis House and this guy ran up to us. Just before we got to the entrance he came up to me and attacked me.
“He was pulling at my turban strongly. It half moved and I grabbed it. Before he could do anything else I shouted at him and he ran.
“He made a racist comment in another language that I didn’t recognise. He was a white man, but he didn’t sound English. He said something like ‘Muslim go back’.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed they were called at 5.20pm to reports of a man being assaulted outside Portcullis House, the building adjacent to the Houses of Parliament, which is home to offices for MPs and their staff.
They said no arrests have been made and their enquiries are ongoing.
Mr Singh added: “I was surprised and shocked. I pray for these racist people who don’t realise that we are all one.”
Mr Singh was in the UK on a three-week trip to discuss his work for an environmental group, which included a meeting with the Labour MP for Slough, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi.
Commenting on the attack, Mr Dhesi said he was “disgusted to discover today that someone filled with hatred tried to pull off the turban of one of my guests standing in line outside Parliament” and called on police to take “urgent action”.