Haryana CM woos Sikhs with job offer

HARYANA Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s announcement to provide government jobs to the kin of 121 families affected by the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is the latest in a series of moves that appear calibrated to woo Sikh sentiment. While the offer brings long-delayed relief to families that suffered immensely, it also sits squarely within the BJP’s larger political design to expand its base among Sikhs and Punjabis ahead of the state Assembly elections. A similar wave of compassion came from the Delhi administration earlier this year. In May, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta distributed appointment letters to 125 kin of riot victims. These initiatives, while laudable, also bear political undertones — especially in Haryana, where the proximity to Punjab and the 2027 Assembly polls suggest electoral calculations may be at play.