CHANDIGARH: Senior Supreme Court lawyer and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Harvinder Singh Phoolka, who has long fought for justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His move is being seen as a boost for the saffron party ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled early next year.
After joining the BJP, Phoolka, a Padma Shri awardee in 2019, spoke about his decades-long legal battle on behalf of the victims. He recalled how he and his pregnant wife narrowly escaped the rioters in 1984 thanks to his landlord’s family. Phoolka also highlighted his role in prosecuting Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, accused of inciting the riots following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Phoolka emphasized that the BJP had consistently supported his legal efforts. He said only the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi could address Punjab’s current challenges under AAP rule. “The Prime Minister has shown personal interest in Sikh issues. Because of my work on 1984, he has always appreciated those efforts,” he added. He also acknowledged leaders like Madan Lal Khurana, Sushma Swaraj, and Vijay Kumar Malhotra for standing with the cause.
Reflecting on his past political choices, Phoolka termed his association with the AAP a “mistake.” He explained, “In 2014, I thought the party had come to change the country, given the anger against corruption. But after joining, I realized things were different.” He said he now believes only the BJP can bring Punjab back on track and expressed his commitment to improving the state’s situation.
Targeting Congress over the 1984 riots, Phoolka called the violence a “genocide” rather than a riot. “It was not Hindu versus Sikh – it was Congress versus Sikhs. It was planned during Indira Gandhi’s lifetime and executed after her death. The scale and pattern show that preparations had already been made; her assassination only became the trigger,” he alleged.
He also spoke about Punjab’s multiple crises, including law and order issues, extortion, corruption, drug problems, and a deep agrarian crisis. He warned that, according to reports, groundwater may become unusable by 2039.
Phoolka joined the BJP in Delhi in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar, and party spokesperson Anil Baluni. Puri welcomed him as a “significant addition” who would strengthen the party’s commitment to justice, while Chugh expressed confidence that his entry would bolster the BJP’s organization in Punjab.
Phoolka entered politics in 2014 with the AAP, contesting the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat, but lost to Ravneet Singh Bittu, now a Union Minister. In 2017, he won the Dakha Assembly seat in Punjab and briefly served as the Leader of the Opposition for about three months before resigning to focus on the 1984 riots cases in the Delhi High Court.