Chandigarh, December 2

Shaken by the exit of party general secretary and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) ex-chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who joined the BJP on Wednesday, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is hoping it will become a rallying point for the ‘Panthic’ votes for the party in the Assembly polls.

Sirsa, meanwhile, today clarified national and regional issues of Sikhs weighed on his mind, and not politics, while deciding to join the BJP. He said he would not contest the Delhi gurdwara elections again.

He cautioned that history of various movements, whether it was Emergency or others, has taught us the folly in making the struggles as a ‘Sikh versus others’ narrative. “I supported Akalis’ decision to part ways with the BJP over the farm laws. The struggle on farm laws was farmers versus the Centre, not the Sikhs against the BJP,” Sirsa insisted while speaking with The Tribune.

Meanwhile, the SAD leadership has termed Sirsa’s joining the BJP as a betrayal with the Sikh Panth. It has accused the BJP of treading the same path of the Indira Gandhi regime by meddling with Sikh affairs. SAD spokesperson Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema said: “It hurts when a senior leader takes such an action. He was surely coerced into joining the BJP as the Delhi Police have registered criminal cases against eleven members of the DSGMC headed by him. He should have opted for jail rather than leave the Panth.” — TNS

BJP has attacked Panth, alleges Sukhbir

Jalandhar: Accusing the BJP of using coercion to secure Sirsa’s entry into the party, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday said it was a direct attack on Khalsa Panth. He claimed Sirsa told him that he was being asked to either face jail or quit SAD. “He even sent me a copy of the police’s notice and wrote ‘they want to arrest me’,” the SAD chief claimed.