Boost for BJP as 1,500 Sikhs join party ahead of Lok Sabha polls in Delhi
In a boost for the BJP, around 1,500 Sikhs joined the party ahead of the May 25 Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. Most of the Sikhs who joined the party were members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
In Short
- Around 1,500 Sikh community members join BJP in Delhi.
- Move expected to boost BJP's prospects in West Delhi
- Delhi to vote in single phase on May 25
Around 1,500 members of the Sikh community joined the BJP in Delhi ahead of next month's Lok Sabha elections. This also includes various members from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
The Sikh members joined the saffron party in the presence of party chief JP Nadda, party's national secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and party's national general secretary Tarun Chugh at a programme held at the BJP headquarters.
Some of the prominent DSGMC members who joined the BJP are Jasmine Singh Noni, Harjeet Singh Pappa, Ramandeep Singh Thapar, Bhupinder Singh Ginni, Ramanjot Singh Mita, Parwinder Singh Lucky and Manjit Singh Aulakh. They all joined the party with their supporters.
The move came as a jolt for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is trying to build its cadre in Delhi.
The joining of around 1,500 Sikhs is expected to boost BJP's prospects in West Delhi, where a sizeable number of people from the community live and could play a decisive role in the elections.
BJP leaders targeted Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and highlighted the work done by the BJP-led central government for Sikhs.
"From 1947 onwards, there was continuous oppression as innocent Sikhs were killed. Congress perpetrated atrocities and Sikhs were burnt alive in 1984. The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi took responsibility for the riots and said that when a big tree falls, the earth shakes," Sirsa said.
On his part, Nadda accused Opposition parties of doing politics with Sikhs.
"People have done politics with Sikhs. But if someone has really worked for you, then it is PM Narendra Modi. He earlier served as the BJP in-charge of Punjab. That is why he has affection with Sikhs," he said.
"There is no tax on Langar (community service). This was done by Modi ji. We have made the Kartarpur corridor, which allowed Sikhs to go there. In 1984, humanity was strangled. But, the Prime Minister constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and now all criminals are in jail," he added.
Delhi, which has seven Lok Sabha seats, will vote in a single phase on May 7. Results are expected to be declared on June 4.