In a development that should deeply worry the BJP, an influential voice in the Sikh community H S Phoolka, whose name is synonymous with the struggle for justice for victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, has announced his decision to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
More embarrassingly for the BJP, which has always sought to champion the cause of victims of the 1984 riots, Phoolka told Firstpost that it was BJP's decision to project Narendra Modi as prime ministerial candidate that cost BJP the vote of the Sikh community in Delhi.
Sikh protestors shout slogans during a protest in New Delhi. AFP
In a big jolt to the BJP, the results of the 4 December Delhi Assembly elections saw Delhi's Sikh community, traditionally a saffron stronghold, vote overwhelmingly for the Aam Aadmi Party. West Delhi, which has the highest Sikh population in Delhi, threw up quite a few surprises by voting for AAP candidates in what were previously key BJP constituencies.
"One reason for the shift is that the Sikh community is in favour of change. As far as Sikh psyche is concerned, they are cut off from the Congress because of 1984. Now the name of Modi has now come to the fore. Many Sikhs feel that the same thing happened with the Muslims (in Gujarat). So that is reason that the Sikhs went for the third alternative," says the senior advocate.
The Modi factor, says Phoolka, has had a negative impact on the Sikhs in Delhi.
Reiterating his stand on Modi and the 2002 riots, the lawyer said, "I have always said that the BJP helped the struggle for 1984 victims. But in Gujarat, the government is responsible. I have always maintained that large-scale violence is not possible without connivance of the government."
Asked whether it was the Modi factor alone that was responsible for the Sikh community's shift away from the BJP in Delhi, Phoolka said, "There are various other things where the Sikh community feels the BJP has not done enough. During Madan Lal Khurana's (former Delhi CM) regime, he always took Sikhs with him. So the Sikhs felt part of the BJP. But after that, over the years, no serious effort was made to carry the Sikhs along and give them a feeling of being part of the party. Of course, the BJP has been supporting the struggle of 1984 and that is the reason I have been working closely with them. But as far as ordinary Sikhs were concerned, they were not very happy."
As AAP gets ready to launch its national membership from January 10 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in April, Phoolka has been asked by the party to accompany AAP leader Sanjay Singh to Punjab.
Is the senior advocate likely contest elections? "If the party asks me, I will do that… Sanjay Singh is going to Punjab tomorrow. I have been asked by the party to accompany him. AAP is going for membership drive to Punjab. Let us see what the party will decide."
The response to his announcement to join AAP has been overwhelming, especially from Punjab, says Phoolka.
"Since yesterday my phone has not stopped ringing. I'm getting calls from Punjab, Delhi, and from abroad. So many TV and radio channels from England, Canada have contacted me. The response from Punjab has been especially encouraging."
The absence of a party hierarchy in AAP unlike in the traditional parties, says Phoolka, has been a big attraction for many.
"In the traditional set-up, there is no democracy in the party. The workers have no say. AAP has brought a different culture altogether. And I have seen it myself seen. It is a democratic set up," says Phoolka.
Describing the AAP phenomenon as a 'revolution', the human rights lawyer says, "I feel that it is the duty of an activist like me to support this revolution. And therefore I have joined it. I want to be a part of this. This is the only time we can clean up the system. And if this time we do not succeed in doing it, no one will dare to try again for the next 20-30 years."
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