NEW DELHI: Two days before the Punjab elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met a 31-member Sikh delegation at his residence in New Delhi on Friday.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa maintained that the meeting had nothing to do with the assembly polls. He added that they met Modi to thank him for the initiatives he has taken for the community. “We raised some issues that the Sikhs are facing and Modi promised to resolve them.”
Sirsa said they discussed quota for Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir and restoring benefits for those, who deserted the army in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star against militants holed up in Amritsar’s Golden Temple in 1984. He added they also spoke about the opening of the corridor for Sikh pilgrims to visit Guru Nanak’s last resting place in Pakistan and support to the Afghan Sikhs.
“Since 1947, other parties have not been able to fulfil the promises made to us.” He added the meeting was a step towards resolving their problems. “The prime minister also remembered the sacrifices Sikh brothers made during the freedom struggle and acknowledged their contribution.”
Sirsa shared a video of the meeting and tweeted, “Humbled to be a part of Sikh delegation of prominent Sikh institutions and leaders who met with PM @narendramodi Ji to thank him for his incredible sewa and initiatives.”