While addressing an event in Virginia, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the fight in India was whether a Sikh would be allowed to wear a kada or turban or even go to the gurdwara. Union Minister Hardeep Puri refuted this statement while speaking to NDTV's Marya Shakil saying that no Sikh has any problem in wearing a turban or kada. He also said that Rahul Gandhi did not represent Sikhs and said that the only time civil freedoms were curtailed was during Indira Gandhi's tenure.