Delhi: Former United Akali Dal MP Rajdev Singh Khalsa, who was once known as prominent Panthik leader belonging to SAD (Mann), has formally joined Rashtriya Sikh Sangat on Saturday at its headquarters in Delhi.
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Rajdev Singh Khalsa was elected MP from Sangrur in 1989 when traditional Akali Dal were pushed to margins and Akali Dal led by former IPS officer Simranjit Singh Mann swept across the state and several bigwigs even lost their security deposits. He is a prominent criminal lawyer.
Though Rashtariya Sikh Sangat has been active in the state for the last several years but in Khalsa it has got the first leader who was earlier elected to a public office and remained close to Sikh radicals also but did not support the idea of Khalistan.
Khalsa has been defending Sikh prisoners, including those facing militancy related cases in 1980s and 1990s, without charging any fee and remained very close to Baba Joginder Singh, father of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, who was working president of UAD and was working as glue among different Sikh groups except the traditional leaders like present CM Parkash Singh Badal.
The statement issued by RSS quoted Khalsa saying that he was impressed with the working of the Sikh Sangat especially for its sincere endevaours to get the Sikh prisoners released. Even issues like revision of blacklist of Sikhs on merit, Rs 5 lakh compensation to the victims of November 1984 massacre of Sikhs and formation of SIT for probing the massacre had been supported by them.
This news has made Punjab politics even more complex and has brought deeper concern in various Sikh circles. Various Sikh leaders are shocked over his shift to Hindu right wing force. They termed his move as “suicidal” as the RSS is trying to eliminate minorities in Indian sub-continent through its government in centre.
It may be recalled that on 23 July, 2004 the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat was declared an ‘anti-Sikh outfit’ by Akal Takht Sahib. A Sandesh (message) issued from Akal Takht Sahib under the signatures of five Sikh Jathedars had clarified that activities of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat as well as the RSS were harmful for the Sikh nation, thus both these controversial bodies were declared ‘anti-Sikh’.