Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans joins BJP; calls it ‘ghar wapsi’

Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 10

Padma Shri  Sufi singer and Valmiki leader Hans Raj Hans surprised everyone on Saturday by joining the BJP in New Delhi in the presence of national president Amit Shah and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargia.

As reports of his joining came, even the Punjab leadership was unaware of the development.

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He had joined the Congress in February this year, and his name was being currently considered by the party for Jagraon seat.

Prior to it, he was with the Akali Dal.

On his changing affiliation, Hans said, “Mera dil nhi lagya Congress vich. (I did not enjoy being in Congress).  I still have very high and warm regards for Capt Amarinder Singh, but no comments for the rest of the partymen. It is my ghar wapsi. The BJP and the Akali Dal are one.”

When asked why he joined the BJP instead of the Akali Dal, he said: “I have always been impressed with PM Modi’s humility. He is like a ‘faqir’, who has left his home for the betterment of the humanity. I had gone to Gujarat when it was quake hit, and had even helped him collect 2.5 million dollars for rehabilitation purpose. When he had come to Punjab then as the Gujarat CM, he had showered praises on me. We have an old association owing to which he asked his party’s top leadership to make me join today.”

His 10-month stint in the Congress largely remained controversial. Soon after, he was taken into the Congress by PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh, there were reports of his name chosen for Rajya Sabha nomination, which got cancelled at the eleventh hour after much opposition from the Ravidassia leadership of the party.

In September this year, he had courted another controversy by creating an embarrassing situation for the party by snatching the mike from CLP leader Charanjit Channi during Dalit-outreach programme and alleging that Valmikis were not being giving due representation.

The first hint to his changing stance had come last month when he had surprised all by taking a deviating stand from the Congress on the SYL Canal issue and supporting the move of the SAD-BJP to de-notify the land going upto the extent of calling it a historical day in the history of Punjab. But he had then maintained that it was his personal view and should not be taken otherwise.

Hans brother-in-law and a Valmiki Paramjit Pamma had recently been announced as Akali candidate from Kapurthala general seat for the forthcoming Assembly polls.

Hans had unsuccessfully contested on the SAD ticket from Jalandhar Parliamentary seat in 2009 after which he announced shunning politics for good. However, he again became active and had revolted against the party when the candidature of Adampur MLA Pawan Tinu was announced by the party. He was placated by Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal later, but it did not work for long.