A political row has erupted over the legal exemption allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans in public after Reform UK pledged to scrap the protections following a recent murder conviction.The debate was triggered by the case of Vikram Digva, 23, who was convicted of murdering Henry Novak, an 18-year-old university student in Southampton, using a 21 cm kirpan, a ceremonial blade held by some Sikhs as a symbol of faith. Digwa’s mother was also convicted of assisting an offender by helping to retrieve the weapon after the attack.Zia Yousaf, chair of Reform UK, said the party would scrap the exemption if it came to power, arguing that no one apart from law enforcement officers should be allowed to carry bladed weapons in public.“I don’t care what religion you are. Under the reform government no one will be allowed to possess a deadly weapon except law enforcement,” Youssef wrote on X.He said the reform would repeal the legal exemption for sabers and expand stop and search powers as part of a wider effort to tackle knife crime.The proposal was supported by senior reform figures, who argued that all weapons should be treated equally under the law, regardless of religious exemptions.However, Labor MP Sarah Coombs opposed the call, saying that the actions of one individual should not be used to justify restrictions on an entire religious community.Combs said, “Both the Tories and Reform are now saying that sabers should be banned. This is completely wrong.”“The saber is a core element of the Sikh faith. The entire community cannot be tarnished by the terrible actions of one person.”The exchange has reignited the debate over the balance between religious freedom and public safety. Current UK law provides for an exemption to allow Sikhs to possess kirpans in recognition of their religious significance.