A Sikh organisation has accused the Home Office of hiding behind knife legislation to avoid scrutiny of policing failures following the murder of student Henry Nowak .

The Sikh Federation said the Government is using knife laws as a “deflection tactic” to distract from police “failings”.

Mr Nowak, 18, was stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton on 3 December. As Mr Nowak lay dying, he was handcuffed by police, after his attacker falsely accused him of racial abuse.

The group accused ministers of “inappropriately targeting” the kirpan, a sacred religious blade.

The Sikh Federation said in a statement: “The Home Office is attempting to deflect attention away from the real failings by the police and other Government agencies in the Henry Nowak case by inappropriately targeting the kirpan – a sacred article of Sikh faith – despite the clear fact that the murder weapon was not a kirpan.”

Dabinderjit Singh, the group's chief executive for political engagement, said: "The Home Office appears to be…