A Sikh man in Canada has alleged religious discrimination after he was reportedly denied the opportunity to write a police recruitment examination because he refused to remove his kirpan, a sacred article of faith worn by initiated Sikhs.Jaspal Singh Gill, who moved to Canada from India in 2021, said he had long aspired to become a police officer, inspired by his father and grandfather who served in the police force in India.“My longstanding personal goal was to join a police service because my grandfather and father were police officers back in India,” Gill told Canadian broadcaster CTV News.Gill became a permanent resident of Canada in 2024 and relocated to Winnipeg last summer. He said he had been preparing for police recruitment exams since arriving in the country and was invited to appear for the Winnipeg Police Service recruitment examination in late April.However, Gill claimed he was stopped before the examination began.“The recruitment officer came to me and told me, ‘You have to take off your kirpan in order to take the examination,’” he said.The kirpan, a sheathed ceremonial dagger, is one of the five articles of faith that observant Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear at all times.“We wear it to symbolise courage and our responsibility to fight against injustice,” Gill explained.According to Gill, recruitment officials informed him he would not be allowed to sit for the exam unless he handed over the kirpan. He said he chose to leave instead.“My dreams got shattered,” he said, adding that he considered the move discriminatory because other applicants were allowed to appear for the test.In response to media queries, a spokesperson for the Winnipeg Police Service said the applicant had been respectfully offered secure storage for the kirpan during the examination period but declined the accommodation.“The individual declined the accommodation and chose not to proceed with writing the exam,” the spokesperson said, adding that testing takes place in a secure area where authorities are responsible for the safety of candidates and staff.The police service also stated that it welcomes applicants from diverse religious backgrounds and has previously accommodated Sikh candidates through temporary secure storage arrangements for kirpans.Gill, however, argued that the restriction violated his constitutional rights and pointed to a 2006 Supreme Court of Canada ruling which held that banning Sikhs from carrying kirpans infringes upon religious freedom.He noted that Sikhs are permitted to wear kirpans in courthouses, legislative assemblies and even on domestic flights in Canada.Gill said he has filed a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act request seeking details of the police department’s policies and may also approach the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.Neil McArthur, director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba, said the case could favour Gill in light of existing Supreme Court precedent.“The Supreme Court decision concerned a school, and it decided that it was perfectly safe to have Sikhs wearing their kirpans in a school environment,” McArthur told CTV News. “I struggle a little bit with why a testing environment would be less secure.”He further noted that several Canadian police services, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, permit officers to wear kirpans while on duty.Despite the setback, Gill said he still hopes to fulfil his dream of joining the police force and wants authorities to reconsider their policy.“I believe many other Sikh applicants will be discouraged from applying for police services,” he said.A Sikh man in Winnipeg is saying his rights were violated after he was not allowed to bring his ceremonial dagger into a police exam.He wants an apology from the police, and may file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. pic.twitter.com/U7TtjZZNKh— Riley Donovan (@valdombre) May 11, 2026