JALANDHAR: The Delhi BJP MLA and newly-elected Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president, Manjinder Singh Sirsa , on Saturday waded into controversy after he shared Australian far-right senator Fraser Anning's tweet blaming Muslim immigrants for the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand Sirsa described Anning's statement, which includes strong anti-Islam and anti-Muslim comments, as a "bold stand."In his original tweet, which has now been deleted, Sirsa attached Anning's statement and wrote: "This should shame all those jihadi mindset people who have got their religion termed 'Fascist' because of their rigid & violent thoughts! Senator @FraserAnning of Queensland takes a bold stand. I hope the global media won't label him a villain in this bid to protect jihadis."To add to Sirsa’s woes, he tagged a parody account @FraserAnning that uses the name Sentor Fräser Scamming in place of Anning’s official handle @Fraser_Anning.After facing an immediate backlash and strong criticism from Sikh netizens, Sirsa deleted the tweet later and posted a tweet in which the DSGMC president said he has always condemned the ‘jihadi mindset’ and that it was never his intention to hurt any community. As Sirsa continued to face severe criticism for his original tweet, he also retracted his clarification late on Saturday and offered an unconditional apology. “I offer an unconditional apology for my words & tweet. In my tweet I had clearly condemned ‘violence’ but I made the mistake of quoting words of Senator Fraser Anning without understanding his intention. I once again feel sorry for that.”“It was a blunder on my part to tweet without understanding whom the Senator was targeting. It was never an intention to hurt the sentiments of my Sikh brethren living abroad. As the head of a religious institution, I understand my responsibility.”“I once again reiterate that as a devout Sikh, I stand in solidarity with the ideals of humanity and compassion as taught by our Guru Sahibs. In all humility, requesting the people who are hurt with my words to accept my apology and share it with all.”

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