Phoolka joins BJP, hints at ‘agrarian crisis’ in Punjab

Punjab: With the Punjab Assembly elections just a year away, senior Supreme Court lawyer and former AAP MLA Harvinder Singh Phoolka joined the BJP at the party headquarters here on Wednesday. He began his new innings by attacking the AAP and the Congress. The induction took place in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh. Phoolka blamed the ruling AAP in Punjab for the state’s “worst-ever” agrarian crisis, as well as the opposition Congress for “historical wrongs” committed against the victims and families of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. This move is significant at a time when the saffron party is expanding its reach among the Sikh community, who dominate Punjab and the state’s politics. Phoolka’s legal credentials and public standing are expected to bolster the party’s narrative of justice and accountability. Phoolka said at a press conference, “Punjab is facing a severe agricultural crisis under the AAP government. Reports indicate that by 2039, the state’s groundwater will drop below 300 meters and become toxic. There is also a fear of land becoming barren. The ruling AAP doesn’t care about the ground situation.” He added, “The state’s law and order situation is deteriorating. The current government is silent on corruption, gang wars, extortion calls, and the rising drug addiction among youth.” Welcoming Phoolka, Jakhar said that his joining the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership demonstrates the central government’s sincere efforts to uplift the Sikh community. He said that these efforts are the reason leaders like Phoolka are joining the party. Jakhar said, “Phoolka, who fearlessly fought for justice for the Sikh community and is respected by every Sikh, has joined the BJP. The joining of such a figure shows that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party is working sincerely for Sikhism and the Sikh community, and the false narratives created by opponents are crumbling in the face of truth.” Phoolka’s public life is marked by his relentless legal fight for justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He played a key role in securing accountability for several Congress leaders accused in connection with the violence, including HKL Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar, and Jagdish Tytler.

He said, “I have been fighting for the victims of the 1984 riots for the last 40 years, and I have been supported by the BJP ever since… I have also done a lot of legal work for the BJP. I was with the AAP for three years. But I have had a close relationship with the BJP from the very beginning.” He accused the Congress party of committing a genocide in 1984, killing thousands of innocent Sikhs. He said, “Congress’s hands are stained with the blood of Sikhs. The entire genocide was planned by Indira Gandhi during her lifetime, and it was executed after her death because the party was looking for an opportunity to kill Sikhs. Even if she were alive, this tragic incident would have happened.” Phoolka first entered politics with the AAP in 2014, contesting the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat in Punjab. He lost the election to Congress leader Ravneet Singh Bittu, who has since joined the BJP and is a minister in the central government. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, he won the Dakha seat, defeating Akali leader Manpreet Singh Ayali. He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly for about three months that year. However, his political career with the AAP was short-lived. After resigning from party posts in 2015, she formally left the party in January 2019. Puri welcomed Phoolka and said that the BJP is not just a national political party, but also an agent of social change. He said, “Prime Minister Modi has lifted millions of people out of extreme poverty. The Modi government has moved towards women-led governance through women-centric policies.”