In a major turn of events ahead of the crucial 2022 Punjab assembly polls, Manjinder Singh Sirsa has quit Akali Dal to join the Bhartiya Janata Party today in the presence of Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The party took to Twitter to inform the same.
LIVE: Former SAD leader Shri @mssirsa join BJP. https://t.co/wNTfwwpi3E
— BJP (@BJP4India) December 1, 2021
Earlier in the day, Sirsa had resigned from his post of president of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee. Sirsa has taken to Twitter to inform about the same. Sharing his resignation on Twitter, the former Akali Dal leader wrote: “With gratitude to all office bearers, members, staff & people who worked with me; I am resigning from Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee as President. I will not contest upcoming DSGMC internal elections. My commitment to serve my community, humanity & nation remains same!”
With gratitude to all office bearers, members, staff & people who worked with me; I am resigning from Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee as President. I will not contest upcoming DSGMC internal elections.
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 1, 2021
My commitment to serve my community, humanity & nation remains same! pic.twitter.com/1ja3DlnvVM
In a video statement, Sirsa also informed that he is resigning from the post due to some personal reasons. He also informed that he would not be contesting the next elections as well. He thanked the members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, the Sikhs of the country and the world who have given him a lot of respect. “Thanks to my members, well-wishers, who have supported me so far”, said Sirsa.
निजी कारणों से दिल्ली सिख गुरुद्वारा मैनेजमेंट कमिटी के अध्यक्ष पद से इस्तीफा देता हूं। देश और दुनिया के सिखों ने काफी मान बक्शा है। अगले चुनाव से भी खुद को दूर रखूंगा। अपने सदस्य, शुभचिंतकों का धन्यवाद देता हूँ, जिन्होंने अब तक साथ दिया : @MSsirsa
— NBT Dilli (@NBTDilli) December 1, 2021
pic.twitter.com/nrTT80pQWD
Earlier, Manjinder Singh Sirsa had been disqualified from being co-opted as a member of the DSGMC. The order was passed by the director of the Delhi Gurudwara election body, Narinder Singh on Tuesday. He informed that Sirsa was not eligible for the post since he did not know how to read and write ‘Gurmukhi’ (the script used by Sikhs for writing Punjabi), a basic requirement to hold the post as per the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Act, 1971.
Sirsa fought and won the Rajouri Garden bypolls in Delhi Assembly on a BJP ticket in 2017. His former party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, has since broken away from the BJP following the farmers protest over newly implemented farm laws which now stand repealed.
