New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh specially took up the turban issue with the visiting French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and impressed upon him the need to allow Sikh students in that country to wear turban in some Government schools, Minorities Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh said today (Oct 28, 2004).

Tarlochan, who met Barnier at a dinner last night, said, "The French Foreign Minister told me that both the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh had raised the turban issue during their meetings with him yesterday."

He said the French Minister said they had already admitted around 100 Sikh students to various public schools where the law against wearing the headgear was not applicable.

Only three cases were pending which too would be solved by the second week of November, he had assured Singh.

The French Minister assured him that Sikh students would not lose their academic year, Singh said.

Tarlochan said the issue was almost settled and they are in continuous consultation with the Sikh community there.

The law was not against any religion but to prevent the growth of fundamentalist approach by community schools, Singh said quoting Barnier.