‘Modi has highest regard for our community’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Sept 27: Maintaining that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is abreast with the problems of members of Sikh community in J&K, party national spokesperson, R P Singh today said that his party will address all their issues after coming to power in the UT.
In an exclusive interview to Excelsior, he said, Sikhs are the most patriotic people and they played a heroic role in preserving the ancient culture and civilization of India. Their sacrifice and great role can’t be forgotten even in the freedom movement of the country and later.
RP Singh said that BJP will take all steps in settling whatever grievances the community has in J&K soon after coming to power. Singh said he is always available to the community leaders and they can come up with their issues so that a solution to the same is found and all steps will be taken to grant minority status to the community in J&K which is a genuine issue.
Besides, he promised that the Punjabi will be given official language status in J&K and it will be taught in all schools.
Denying that Sikhs are annoyed with Narendra Modi Government, R P said the Prime Minister soon after coming to power in 2014 took many welfare measures for the community. It is he who opened the Kartarpur Corridor and Sikhs visit Kartarpur Gurudwara in Pakistan without visa and passport. This was a great initiative on the part of PM who has lot of respect for Sikhism and Sikh Gurus.
Prime Minister visits Gurudwars and performs Ardass there like every member of the Sangat. For the first time in the history the martyrdom of four Sahibzadas was observed as Vir Baal Diwas all over country and the initiative was taken by Prime Minister himself. He said in future this day will be celebrated with great fervour and gaiety across the country also.
Strongly advocating for granting representation to Sikhs of J&K in Women Commission, he said this demand too will be conceded after the formation of Government by BJP in J&K. Besides, the justice will be given to the members of community who stayed back in Kashmir during turmoil and they will be provided the same benefits which minority Pandits are given there.
In response to a question that members of Sikh Community expressed resentment that BJP did not give them representation in the Election Manifesto Committee, Singh said that a leader of the community from Jammu, Dr Narinder Singh Raina is the national secretary of the party. No other leader from J&K is the national office bearer in the BJP for which the community should feel proud.
In response to another question that like Kashmiri Pandits and POJK refugees, the Sikh community has not been given reservation in Assembly, Singh said the party has given mandate to their member and he is contesting election. They should make him victorious and he will definitely be the part of the Government, he added.
He while, giving all credit to BJP and Modi Government for championing the cause of Sikh community and standing by it during 1984 anti Sikh riots, he said BJP leadership right form Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani stood with the community during those bad days.
It was after Narendra Modi came to power in 2014 it opened cases against those people who were involved in anti Sikh riots in 1984 and I as a member of community filed an application against one of the senior Congress leaders in CBI who along with other party leaders led the mob in attacking Sikhs.
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RP Singh said that in the history of independent India if Sikhs have suffered atrocities that was in 1984 anti Sikh riots when 3000 community members were killed alone in those riots and the then PM Rajiv Gandhi was on record to say that when a big tree falls earth shakes after he was asked on the killing of innocent members of Sikh community by the media.
R P Singh said for opening of Kartarpur Corridor he was the first to raise his voice. “Besides, I raised voice for the other issues of the community from time to time and my party always stood with me in getting these issues resolved”. He said in comparison to that Congress leaders supported those whose hands were soaked in the blood of Sikhs and now they are shedding crocodile tears to gain support of Sikhs.
RP said it was Narendra Modi who applied balm on the scars of Sikhs adding that no one has done so much for minorities especially Sikhs as Modi did. “It was Modi only who tried to heal the 40 year old scars of Sikh community,” he added.
He said Modi tried to get Gurbani translated by taking personnel pains for it and he has lot of respect for the community. It was Modi who rescued Sikhs from Afghanistan and brought them safely to India. The CAA was brought by his Government for the rehabilitation of minorities facing atrocities and threats in other countries, he added.
He said there are few people in the community who are trying to create confusion while the entire community has no issue.
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