A new political force has emerged in the capital. United by rage against the ruling party, Delhi’s Sikhs have cornered the Congress, which has its back to the wall. The acquittal of 1984 Sikh riots-accused Sajjan Kumar; the government’s failure to secure the release of Sarabjit Singh and the upholding of the death sentence on Delhi bomb blast accused Devinderpal Singh Bhullar have inflamed Sikh sentiments.
All this ignited vehement protests and near-riot situations in many parts of Delhi. Sikhs protesting Sajjan’s exoneration besieged the Prime Minister’s office on Race Course Road and Sonia Gandhi’s home—by now, favourite venues of public fury.
Leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal—Badal (SAD) that made a spectacular entry into Delhi’s factitious political scene in January by winning the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections; grabbing 37 seats out of 46, led the protestors. SAD defeated the Congress-backed Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi)— a first since 2001. DSGMC is the second most powerful Sikh body in the country after Amritsar’s Akal Takth.
Despite the last minute attempts on part of the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh—a Sikh himself—to mollify Sikh sentiments on Sarabjeet’s murder in Lahore, its political implications in Punjab found reverberations in Delhi. Bhullar’s sentencing brought further ire, with Sikhs demonstrating in the capital and submitting a signature campaign to the President. Fuelled by the Internet, it spurred protests by Sikhs across the globe: a fact that has further emboldened Sikhs in the capital. Meanwhile, cashing in on Sikh anger against the Congress is the BJP—the SAD ally in Punjab which already the won the MCD elections last year.