Latest news with #Sikhs'
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rebel Akali leader Sikandar Singh Maluka back in SAD, to campaign in Ludhiana West
In the run-up to the June 19 Ludhiana West assembly byelection, veteran Akali leader and former cabinet minister Sikandar Singh Maluka was re-inducted into the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Chandigarh on Saturday. Welcoming him back into the party fold a year after his unceremonious removal as head of the SAD disciplinary committee, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal described his return as 'a major boost for the party'. 'It gives me immense pleasure to welcome veteran Akali leader Sikandar Singh Maluka back to the Shiromani Akali Dal,' Sukhbir said, acknowledging his contributions to strengthening the party under the leadership of former chief minister and party patriarch late Parkash Singh Badal. 'I am happy to be back in my party,'said Maluka, who is set to campaign for the SAD to win over its traditional base in the high-stakes assembly byelection. In his post on X, Sukhbir urged Punjabis to unite in support of Punjab's 'only regional party' for peace and development in the state. Maluka, who rejoined the party in the presence of SAD secretary general Balwinder Singh Bhundar and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema, was once considered a close aide of the Badals and had been the SAD's Bathinda district president for 28 years. His daughter-in-law, Parampal Kaur Sidhu, a former IAS officer, had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Bathinda in June 2024 as the BJP candidate against the SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Maluka's son, Gurpreet Singh, is a former chairman of the Bathinda Zila Parishad. Maluka had claimed that he had tried to stop his son and daughter-in-law from joining the BJP, but in vain. However, back then he had also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which had not gone down well with the Akali Dal leadership. In April last year, he was removed from the post of SAD's Maur assembly constituency in-charge and was replaced by former minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon. On July 30 last year, Maluka was expelled for anti-party activities along with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) ex-president Bibi Jagir Kaur, former SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former ministers Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Surjit Singh Rakhra and former MLAs Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Surinder Singh Thekedar .The action had come a day after the rebel leaders announced a 13-member presidium to strengthen the Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar (Shiromani Akali Dal reform movement). The rebel leaders also had approached the Sikhs' highest temporal seat Akal Takht seeking a pardon for mistakes committed during two terms of the SAD-BJP government from 2007-17. The Sudhar Lehar was dissolved last December on the directions of then Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Time of India
'Will cut hair with razor': Indian-origin Hindu man Bhushan Athale jailed in US for violent threats against Sikhs
49-year-old Bhushan Athale, an Indian-origin man in Texas, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for making violent threats against Sikh employees of a nonprofit organization in New Jersey. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Athale called the main number of the Sikh nonprofit organization and left numerous messages threatening to injure or kill these individuals, cut their hair with a razor etc. The first calls were made in 2022 and in January this year he pleaded guilty to "interfering with federally protected activities' by threatening to use a dangerous weapon and making an interstate threat to injure another person. He threatened to shave off her and other Sikhs' 'top and bottom' hair with a razor and called members of the religious group by profane names and other insults, according to the criminal complaint authorities wrote when the charges were filed. In 2023, he again called the same Sikh organization and left two more voicemail using violent, sexual imagery against Sikhs and Muslims. He had also sent 'hate-fuelled' emails and messages to a Muslim colleague in November 2021, a separate complaint against him said. In a telephone interview with law enforcement in February 2022, the criminal complaint stated, Athale told investigators that he hated Muslims because they ruined India. 'The Department of Justice has no tolerance for hate-fueled threats of violence in our country, and we appreciate the strong efforts of US Attorney Alina Habba and her team in working with us to bring this perpetrator to justice,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Texas man sentenced to federal prison for hate crimes against Sikhs
On Tuesday, a Dallas man was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison in a hate crime case in which he was accused of threatening members of a Sikh nonprofit organization because of their religion. Bhushan Athale, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with federally protected activities and one count of transmitting an interstate threat, in an agreement with prosecutors late last year, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. On two occasions, from his home in Texas he called members of a Sikh nonprofit organization in New Jersey that advocates for Sikh civil rights, the criminal complaint stated. On Sept. 17, 2022, Athale called one member of the nonprofit multiple times, leaving seven voicemails threatening Sikhs with violence. He threatened to shave off her and other Sikhs' 'top and bottom' hair with a razor and called members of the religious group by profane names and other insults, according to the criminal complaint authorities wrote when the charges were filed. On March 22, 2024, the nonprofit again reported that Athale called from the same phone number and left two voicemails, expressing his hatred for Sikhs and Muslims with violent, sexual phrases, the press release stated. Athale had previously sent emails to a Muslim coworker in November 2021, explicitly stating that he hated Pakistan and Muslims, according to the criminal complaint. He had tried to message the coworker 345 times as of January 2022. In a telephone interview with law enforcement in February 2022, the criminal complaint stated, Athale told investigators that he hated Muslims because they ruined India. In many of his voicemails to the Sikh nonprofit, he also referenced Khalistan, a theoretical country that a subsect of separatist Sikhs are in favor of creating, according to the complaint. Athale questioned members of the nonprofit numerous times about where they would be creating the country. The case was investigated by agents with the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office. Along with the sentence of over two years in prison, U.S. District Judge Edward Kiel in Camden, New Jersey, sentenced Athale to three years of supervised release and told him to not contact the victims of his crimes.
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Giani Gargaj pushes for unity as Taksal to oppose his Akal Takht address during Op Bluestar anniversary event
A day after the announcement by Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma regarding preventing acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj from delivering a message from the platform of Akal Takht during an event marking Operation Bluestar anniversary on June 6, Gargaj called for panthic unity on Sunday. The announcement has left the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) worried as in such a situation, it may be challenging for it to maintain peace during the commemoration. On Monday, an SGPC delegation, led by president Harjinder Singh Dhami, will meet the Damdami Taksal chief. Reiterating that Gargaj's appointment was not made in accordance with the Sikh 'rehat maryada' (code of conduct), Dhumma had on Saturday said the community does not accept Gargaj as a legitimate jathedar, and any attempt by him to deliver a message would be strongly opposed by the Damdami Taksal and other Sikh organisations,' he said. Meanwhile, Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), said any attempt to silence Giani Gargaj is unjust and divisive. 'We will not allow such a misconduct. Sri Akal Takht Sahib is Sikhs' spiritual throne. Here, we must gather with humility and respect to remember our martyrs through prayer,' he said. 'From Abdali to Indira Gandhi, many have attacked Sri Akal Takht Sahib, but it has always stood firm. We urge Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma to uphold the sanctity of this Takht and show seriousness and respect in his statements,' he said. An SGPC official, requesting anonymity, said, 'Maintaining peace during the event will be a big challenge.' Harjinder Singh Dhami will lead an SGPC delegation to meet Dhumma on Monday. In a press release issued by the SGPC office, he stated that the purpose of the meeting with the head of Damdami Taksal is to strengthen the panthic unity and to prevent any kind of confrontation during the event. Dhami admitted to being concerned about the current situation but expressed confidence in finding a meaningful resolution. Meanwhile, Giani Gargaj also appealed to the entire Sikh community to commemorate these days with the spirit of panthic unity and pay respectful homage to the 'martyrs'. He said, 'The Sikh community can never forget the military attack of June 1984. The first week of June each year is a deeply emotional and solemn time for the Panth, when martyrs are remembered. These martyrs sacrificed their lives for the nation, and they will always hold a place of utmost respect in the hearts of the Sikhs'. Gargaj said, 'From time to time, certain forces have covertly attempted to prevent the Sikh community from remembering the martyrs of June 1984 and to sow division within the Khalsa Panth. However, the community has always remembered its martyrs with unwavering spirit (chardi kala) and will continue to do so. The panth needs unity, not division.'
Mint
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘You create fear among Sikhs…': Man confronts Rahul Gandhi in US, Congress MP replies, ‘happy to take responsibility'
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was at a student interaction at the Brown University in the US, when he was seemingly confronted by a young Sikh man, who accused the Congress leader of 'creating a fear among Sikhs'. At an interaction at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University two weeks ago, Gandhi was told, 'You create a fear among Sikhs about what BJP would look like, you talked about how politics should be fearless… we don't just want to wear 'kadas', we don't just want to tie turbans… we want freedom of expression, which has not been allowed under the Congress Party in the past.' The young man was referring to Gandhi's earlier statement that 'the fight in India is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear a turban, whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear a 'kada' or go to the Gurudwara'. In a video now going viral on social media, the same Sikh man can be heard talking about the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, which he says talks about Dalit rights and mentions nothing of separatism, but the then Congress still labelled it a separatist document. While referring to former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who was convicted of murder linked to the 1984 riots, the Sikh man said, 'This is something your party has done, your party seems to lack the maturity to accept the mistakes it has made,' adding, 'Many more Sajjan Kumars are sitting in Congress Party'. Finally, the man asked Gandhi, 'You tell us to fear what the 'BJP India' would look like, but you haven't tried to reconcile with the Sikhs. What attempts are you making, because if you continue like this, BJP is also going to make its way into Punjab.' Gandhi responded to every statement the Sikh man had put up during the Q&A session. First, Gandhi clarified his 'fight in India for Sikhs' statement by saying, 'The statement I made was that do we want an India where people are uncomfortable to express their religion?' Second, he responded to the Sikh man's comments on the grand old party's past mistakes. 'As far as mistakes of Congress Party are concerned, a lot of those happened when I was not there, but I am more than happy to take responsibility for everything the Congress party has ever done wrong in its history,' Rahul Gandhi said. 'I have publicly stated that what happened in the 80s was wrong, I have been to the Golden Temple multiple times, I have extremely good relationships with the Sikh community in India,' he added. The Indira Gandhi government had crushed a separatist movement in Punjab, when the Indian Army had stormed the premises of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, during 'Operation Blue Star', in 1984. The leader of the separatist movement, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a radical preacher, was killed in the operation. This Army operation, inside one of the holiest sites for Sikhism, had sparked massive unrest and resentment among the community. Months later, Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi's grandmother, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. Massive and violent riots against Sikhs broke out across the country after her assassination. Several Congress leaders are accused of having fuelled the violence. According to government estimates, over 3,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi and elsewhere. Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya, while sharing the video on his account on X, said that 'it is quite unprecedented that Rahul Gandhi is now being ridiculed not just in India, but around the world.' 'You haven't reconciled with the Sikhs,' a young man tells Rahul Gandhi to his face, reminding him of the unfounded fear-mongering he engaged in during his last visit to the US,' Malviya wrote in his post. Tuhin A Sinha, BJP's national spokesperson, also slammed the Congress leader in a post on X. 'The ignorant dynast is seen struggling for an answer. This is how RG's pack of lies will get exposed on every issue!' he wrote. First Published: 4 May 2025, 06:46 PM IST
