Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Punjab unit core committee member Harjit Singh Grewal has been appointed chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities. The announcement marks the first time a member of the Sikh community has been selected for the key role for a consecutive term.
Grewal succeeds former IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura as the head of the panel, becoming the third Sikh to serve in the position following Tarlochan Singh and Lalpura. The government issued the official notification approving Grewal's appointment, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Chandigarh and Punjab.
Alongside his role on the Punjab BJP core committee, Grewal is also a member of the central party's National Council. As a highly experienced political figure in the region, he previously played a vital role in attempting to bridge the mistrust between the government and protesting farmers during the height of the agrarian agitation. It is widely viewed as a move made strategically by the Narendra Modi-led government as a way of showing their solidarity with the Sikhs who are the major voting group in Punjab in the run-up to the upcoming assembly election.
The National Commission for Minorities has had several notable personalities lead it in the past, among whom is former Vice President Hamid Ansari. It is widely believed that the appointment of Grewal before the Punjab elections is politically very significant for the region.
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