US, June 8 -- British Sikh MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has strongly criticized calls by the Restore Britain party leader Rupert Lowe to ban the Sikh ceremonial kirpan in public spaces, arguing that the actions of one individual should not be used to stigmatize an entire faith community.

The controversy follows the murder conviction of Vickrum Digwa, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton. The case has sparked a broader debate in the United Kingdom over religious exemptions that allow practicing Sikhs to carry the kirpan, one of the five articles of faith in Sikhism.

Lowe, leader of the right-wing Restore Britain party, called for the kirpan to be banned in public places, ar...