Robert Lowe (left) and Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi (right)
Indian-origin Labor MP Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi has hit back at Reclaim Britain leader Robert Lowe after he called for a ban on wearing ceremonial Sikh kirpans in public following the murder of British-Polish teenager Henry Nowak.Dicey, the Labor MP for Slough and one of Britain’s most prominent Sikh politicians, accused Lowe of targeting an entire community.“I was born and raised here. Countless brave Sikh soldiers died for Britain, proudly wearing their turbans and kirbans,” Desi wrote on X.“Fortunately, Robert and Restor couldn’t tell what was British. Be careful…today they’re coming for me, but tomorrow it could be you!”
His comments came after Lowe posted on social media that the Restoration Britain government would seek to ban kirpan in public places.
“Labour MP Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi has attacked the Reclaim Britain Party in Parliament for seeking to ban kirpan in public places,” Lowe wrote.“Under the Restoration government, everyone will be equal. Un-British religious practices will not be tolerated or accepted. Enough is enough.”Lowe also called for the deportation of individuals linked to the case, writing: “Any Indian who covers up for Vikram Dhigwa should be deported immediately.”
Al-Disi accuses the parties of making Sikhs a scapegoat
Speaking in the House of Commons, Dice condemned attempts to link the actions of one individual to the wider Sikh community.The Labor MP said the humiliation suffered by Henry Nowak in his final moments “should never happen again”, but criticized Reform UK and Restore Britain for “politicising people’s pain” and attacking Sikhs over the ceremonial kippan.Dicey said the weapon used in the attack was not the type of ceremonial kirpan carried by practicing Sikhs and accused political opponents of “scapegoating” an entire community.He told MPs, “Islah decided to make an entire society a scapegoat and throw it under the bus.”
Degoa was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Henry Nowak
The political row comes in the wake of the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, a British-Polish university student, in Southampton in December 2025.Vikram Dhigwa, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years after being found guilty of murder and possessing a knife in public.Nowak, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was studying accounting and finance at the University of Southampton and had recently completed his first term.According to prosecutors, the fatal confrontation occurred shortly before 11.30pm on December 3, 2025, on Belmont Road in the Portswood area of Southampton, after the two men collided with each other on the pavement.During the trial, DeGoa claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging Nowak appeared intoxicated, became aggressive, used racial slurs, punched him and pulled off his turban before he could reach the blade. Jurors rejected this account and found him guilty of murder.The court heard Nowak suffered multiple stab wounds and tried to escape by climbing over a fence before it collapsed.Degoa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was also found guilty of assisting an offender after prosecutors said she removed the weapon from the scene.
Bodycam footage sparks outrage
The case attracted more national attention after police body camera footage showed Nowak repeatedly telling officers that he had been stabbed while he was handcuffed on the ground.In the footage, an officer can be heard asking where he was stabbed before saying: “I don’t think you have a girlfriend.”The teenager later died from his injuries.Prime Minister Keir Starmer also said the camera footage raised “serious questions for police”.“Body camera footage released this week showed Henry repeatedly telling officers that he had been stabbed as he lay dying in handcuffs,” Starmer said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the police response required thorough scrutiny.The footage sparked widespread criticism of Hampshire Police, which later apologised.Donna Jones, Hampshire’s police and crime commissioner, described the incident as a “national tragedy”.Henry’s father, who spoke outside court after the ruling, called for a transparent investigation but urged people not to use his son’s death to fuel division.The family said they did not want the murder to be used “to stir up further hatred, division or tension”.