Who are the Sikh businessmen defending RSS chief’s visit to London gurdwara

The visit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat to the Khalsa Jatha British Isles Gurdwara in central London on September 6 has sparked a debate among sections of the Sikh community, particularly over his presence at the shrine and the two Sikh businessmen who accompanied him.

The two, UK-based businessman and philanthropist Peter Virdee and Rajya Sabha MP and entrepreneur Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, have since defended the visit, arguing that a gurdwara is open to everyone and that welcoming a visitor should not be interpreted as an endorsement of his organisation or ideology.

Born Hardip Singh Virdee on December 6, 1973, in Birmingham, Peter Virdee is a British-Sikh businessman, property developer and philanthropist. He built his business interests primarily through B&S Property, an asset management firm involved in high-value property developments.

His interests have also extended to renewable energy through PV Energy Ltd, international minerals trading through 3VI Ltd and insurance brokerage. His public profile, however, has also remained controversial too. Virdee was convicted in Germany in a €125-million carbon-credit VAT fraud case between 2008 and 2012.

After being arrested in London in 2017 and extradited to Germany, he was sentenced by a Frankfurt court to 39 months in prison in 2021. In May 2024, Britain’s National Crime Agency charged him in a separate foreign-bribery case.

A Padma Shri awardee, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney is an Indian entrepreneur, educationist, philanthropist and politician. He is chairman of Sun International Limited, whose business interests span international trading in fertilisers, commodities and chemicals, with operations across regions including the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Sahney is also the International President of the World Punjabi Organisation, which works to strengthen social, economic and cultural ties among Punjabis across more than 20 countries. His philanthropic work has included efforts to evacuate and rehabilitate Afghan Hindus and Sikhs following the Taliban takeover.

He organised three chartered flights that brought more than 500 people out of Afghanistan and helped provide education and rehabilitation support to their children. Through the Sun Foundation, he has also worked on skill development programmes for disabled and underprivileged youth.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, his initiatives included mobile testing clinics, distribution of oxygen cylinders and large-scale langar services. His contributions have also been recognised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which conferred on him the Anmol Sikh Rattan Award.

Sahney is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab. He was elected to the Upper House as an Aam Aadmi Party nominee but later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party along with other parliamentarians earlier this year. Sahney defended Bhagwat’s presence at the gurdwara, saying he was there “as a devotee”.

According to Sahney, Bhagwat offered a Rumala Sahib, prayed before Guru Granth Sahib and partook of Karah Prasad. He said he was “deeply anguished by the outrage expressed by a small section” over the visit. Sahney also drew a comparison with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visits to Sri Darbar Sahib, arguing that Sikh institutions have historically received politicians despite controversies surrounding their political organisations.

He further said the RSS had recognised Sikhism as a distinct religion and pointed to a statement Bhagwat made in Ludhiana in February reiterating that position. Virdee, who accompanied Bhagwat to the London gurdwara, also defended the visit.

“The Guru's door is open to all,” he said, arguing that no social media group had the authority to decide who could enter a gurdwara. He described Bhagwat’s visit as an act of paying respects before Guru Granth Sahib and stressed that “hospitality is not endorsement, and dialogue is not surrender”.

Virdee also criticised what he called “pop up organisations and self appointed ‘Sikh police’”, accusing some critics of using personal abuse and confrontational tactics. The controversy can be traced back to the tensions between sections of the Sikh religious leadership and the RSS and its Sikh wing — the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat.

In July 2004, the Akal Takht issued a directive asking Sikhs to remain cautious about the activities of the RSS and Rashtriya Sikh Sangat. The directive came amid concerns over the organisations’ involvement in programmes marking the 400th anniversary of the first installation of Guru Granth Sahib.

The broader disagreement has centred on questions of Sikh identity and the RSS’s understanding of the relationship between Sikhism and Hinduism — an issue that has remained politically and religiously sensitive. Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab.

He is one of the publication's key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts. Core Beats & Specializations Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions.

National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups. Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur.

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