Sarna slams BJP for renaming Dyal Singh Majithia College

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 19

Shiromani Aakali Dal (Delhi) secretary-general Harvinder Singh Sarna has come down heavily on the BJP for its attempt to wipe out the name of Sikh educationist Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia from Delhi University college named after him.

“The BJP clearly wants to turn India into a regressive theocratic state,” Sarna warned. “Else, there can be no other reason to rechristen a college named after a Sikh academic as Vande Matram Mahavidyalay. They could have opened a new Vande Matram college. We would have welcomed any such addition to our higher educational institutions.”

He drew the BJP leadership’s attention towards the Islamic state of Pakistan, which still houses a library, a trust and an auditorium in honour of Majithia.

“Remember, that’s an Islamic country. Ours is secular. But the BJP clearly wants to turn the secular republic of India into a theocratic state with its own brand of anti-minorities. This renaming move is a step in that direction,” Sarna said.

He was exploring legal options to challenge the saffron party’s attempt to replace the historical Sikh icon, a secular visionary, from the college’s nameplate.

“The proponents of theocracy will have to do a lot of explaining this time before our secular judiciary. The SAD (D) is already in consultation with top legal luminaries in this regard,” Sarna added.