Current Affairs - International - Discussion

The United Kingdom government amended the Offensive Weapons Bill 2018 to ensure right to possession of kirpans by Sikhs. The move would maintain status quo in continuing to legally safeguard the sale, possession and use of large kirpans and to not criminalise the Sikh community for the sale or possession of one. The move was led by the first female Sikh MP in the House of Commons, MP Preet Kaur Gill. The bill is aimed at strengthening existing legislative measures on offensive weapons, focusing on corrosive substances, knives and certain types of firearm. It would also ban the sale of corrosive substances to anyone under the age of 18.